' 


J^  <§>         ^         4>         # 

MISSIONARY 
^  ADVENTURE 


— -fii'ii 


91%  ^n 


^^mETQ^^ 


3V  2353  .B6  G49  1921 
Ginsburg,  Solomon  L.,  1867 
A  missionary  adventure 


A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 


A  MISSIONARY 
ADVENTURE 

An  Autobiography  oj 
Solomon  L.  Ginsburg 

BY       y 
REV.  SOLOMON  L.  GINSBURG 

FOR!THIRTY  YEARS  MISSIONARY  OF  THE  FOREIGN  MISSION  BOARD 

OF  THE  SOUTHERN  BAPTIST  CONVENTION  IN  BRAZIL, 

SOUTH  AMERICA 


NASHVILLE,  TENN. 
BAPTIST  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  BOARD 
SOUTHERN  BAPTIST  CONVENTION 


MANUFACTURED      COMPLETE     BY 

KINGSPORT    PRESS,    Inc. 

KINGSPORT,       TENNESSEE 

United    States    of  America 


TO 

MRS.  EMMA  MORTON  GINSBURG, 

the  consecrated  missionary,  selt-sacrificing  mother, 
and  devoted  companion,  who  for  these  thirty  years 
has  shared  with  me  all  my  trials  and  joys, 

This  Book  is  affectionately  dedicated. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Foreword    xi 

Introduction,  by  Dr.  T.  B.  Kay xiii 

First  Chapter  :     Preparation  for  Service 1 

Second  Chapter  :    Getting  My  Bearings 27 

Third  Chapter  :     In  Bahia,  1892   50 

Fourth  Chapter:     In  Campos,  (1893-1900)    69 

Fifth  Chapter:     In  Pernambuco,  (1900-1909)   105 

Sixth  Chapter  :     In  Many  Places  135 

Seventh  Chapter  :     Kecruiting  for  the  Master 161 

Eighth  Chapter  :     Companions  and  Friends 176 

Ninth  Chapter  :    Brazil  as  a  Mission  Field 205 

Alphabetical  Index   229 


FOREWOKD 

Just  a  word  as  to  the  reason  for  publishing  this  book. 
If  there  is  one  thing  I  always  disliked,  it  was  to  speak 
or  write  about  myself  or  my  own  personal  experiences. 
But  friends  who  have  heard  me  tell  the  incidents  that 
have  happened  to  me  in  my  life  and  work,  have  insisted 
upon  my  collecting  these  in  book  form,  so  that  they 
might  be  put  to  a  wider  use,  both  for  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  good  of  the  great  cause  of  Missions. 

Acceding  to  their  wishes  1  have  endeavored  to  satisfy 
them,  for,  if  there  is  one  thing  I  want  to  do  above  all 
others,  it  is  to  be  of  some  use  to  the  Masters  cause, 
Bspecially  in  Brazil. 

I  have  not  attempted  to  make  this  book  one  of  per- 
fect literary  style.  After  thirty  years  of  work  in  a 
country  where  the  English  tongue  is  not  in  general  use, 
striving  to  perfect  myself  in  the  native  language,  it 
would  be  almost  impossible  to  attempt  any  perfection 
in  style  or  even  elegance  of  expression  in  English.  My 
chief  object  has  been  to  relate  the  incidents  in  a  way 
that  they  might  be  understood  by  all. 

In  placing  this  little  book  before  my  brethren  in  the 
faith,  my  heart's  prayer  to  God  is  that  it  be  used  for 
His  glory  and  cause. 

There  are  very  few  books  that  tell  of  the  great  op- 
portunities and  the  urgent  need  of  workers  in  that 
great  mission  field — Brazil.     I  do  pray  and  hope  that 


xii  FOREWORD 

this  book  will  be  used  by  the  Spirit  of  God  to  draw 
many  of  our  young  men  and  women  to  that  great  field 
of  labor,  where  they  can  make  their  lives  count  a 
thousandfold  for  the  Master. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  book  I  have  been  helped 
greatly  by  Dr.  T.  B.  Ray,  the  Associate  Secretary  of 
our  Foreign  Mission  Board,  whose  knowledge  of  the 
work  and  workers  is  almost  incomparable;  also  by  Dr. 
W.  0.  Carver,  Professor  of  Missions  in  the  Southern 
Baptist  Theological  Seminary,  and  by  Mrs.  J.  R.  Miller, 
of  Columbia,  Mo.,  proficient  stenographer,  who,  very 
graciously,  prepared  my  manuscripts  for  the  publishers, 
to  all  of  whom  I  extend  my  sincere  gratitude. 

THE  AUTHOR 

Kansas  City,  Mo.,  June,  1921. 


INTRODUCTION 

When  some  months  ago  Rev.  S.  L.  Ginsburg  an- 
nounced to  me  that  he  was  expecting  to  write  an  auto- 
biography, I  said  to  him  jokingly,  **  Solomon,  I  suggest 
that  you  call  it  *A  Wandering  Jew  in  Brazil/  " 
Imagine  my  surprise  when  he  sent  me  his  manuscript 
with  this  title.    My  jest  had  been  taken  seriously. 

Well,  after  all,  it  is  a  good  title,  because  this  man 
of  God  has  traveled  very  extensively  over  Brazil.  He 
is  one  of  the  most  widely  known  men  in  Brazil.  He 
is  called  ** Pastor  Solomon'^  by  multitudes. 

While  he  has  covered  much  territory,  his  has  not  been 
a  vagrant  work.  His  longest  periods  of  service  were  in 
Campos  and  Pernambuco.  In  both  of  these  fields  he  did 
a  monumental  work.  In  both  of  these  fields  our  cause 
has  had  a  splendid  development.  Brother  Ginsburg 
does  not  claim  that  he  is  personally  responsible  for  all 
the  remarkable  growth  in  these  fields.  Others  have 
labored  and  God  has  blessed  their  labors,  but  Ginsburg 
rendered  a  splendid  account  of  himself  in  Campos  and 
Pernambuco.  He  served  a  shorter  period  in  Nictheroy 
and  Bahia  and  did  his  work  well. 

Then  came  his  call  to  the  Carroll  Memorial  Publish- 
ing House.  His  service  in  that  great  institution  gave 
him  an  opportunity  for  doing  a  work  to  his  liking  and 
it  has  been  a  notable  success.  During  a  part  of  the 
time  he  has  been  with  the  Publishing  House,  he  has 
been  Secretary  of  the  Brazilian  Baptist  Home  Mission 

xiii 


xiv  INTEODUCTION 

Board,  which  widened  his  contact  still  more.  He  has 
done  much  evangelizing  also.  So  it  can  be  said  justly 
that  this  Christian  Hebrew  has  really  wandered  far  in 
Brazil  and  gathered  in  many  precious  sheaves. 

Brother  Ginsburg  has  been  in  Brazil  thirty-one  of 
the  forty  years  of  Southern  Baptist  mission  work  in 
that  country.  Only  Dr.  and  Mrs.  W.  B.  Bagby,  the 
founders  of  our  Brazilian  Mission  work,  and  Miss  Emma 
Morton,  now  Mrs.  Ginsburg,  have  been  in  Brazil  longer 
than  he.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  W.  E.  Entzminger,  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  J.  J.  Taylor  and  Dr.  J.  L.  Downing  entered  our 
work  about  the  same  time  as  did  Brother  Ginsburg.  His 
time  in  Brazil  almost  spans  the  period  of  Southern 
Baptist  effort  in  that  country.  He  is  in  position,  there- 
fore, to  give  much  information  upon  our  work.  This 
filing  he  does  very  successfully  in  the  following  pages. 

The  first  effort  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  of  the 
Southern  Baptist  Convention  to  establish  work  in 
Brazil  was  made  in  1859,  when  Eev.  T.  J.  Bowen  was 
sent  to  that  field.  Mr.  Bowen  had  explored  Nigeria, 
Africa,  and  had  founded  our  African  Mission  in  1849. 
His  health  would  not  permit  him  to  return  to  Africa, 
so  he  asked  to  be  designated  to  Brazil.  After  a  little 
more  than  a  year  in  Brazil,  he  was  forced  to  return 
to  the  United  States  and  the  Mission  in  Brazil  was 
abandoned. 

Had  it  not  been  for  his  poor  health,  Mr.  Bowen 
would  have,  no  doubt,  won  the  distinction  of  founding 
two  of  our  Board's  great  missions.  Mr.  Bowen  re- 
turned to  North  America  in  1861,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  War  Between  the  States.  The  general  demoraliza- 
tion of  that  period  was  such  as  to  discourage  any 
effort  to  maintain  the  Brazilian  Mission. 


INTRODUCTION  xv 

After  our  Civil  War  closed  a  large  number  of  families 
from  our  Southern  States  emigrated  to  Brazil,  in  the 
hope  of  recuperating  their  fortunes  and  with  the  feel- 
ing that  they  would  find  conditions  more  endurable  in 
Brazil  than  they  expected  them  to  be  in  our  Southland. 
Amongst  those  immigrants  there  were  Baptists,  who  or- 
ganized themselves  into  a  Baptist  church  at  Santa  Bar- 
bara, in  Sao  Paulo  State. 

In  1873,  this  small  church  of  thirty  members  urged 
the  Foreign  Mission  Board  to  consider  Brazil  as  a 
mission  field  and  asked  that  their  church  be  recog- 
nized as  a  self-supporting  mission  of  the  Board.  Action 
was  not  taken  on  this  proposition  until  1879,  at  which 
time  it  was  decided  to  accept  the  invitation  to  appoint 
as  missionary  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  Rev.  E.  H. 
Quillin,  who  was  then  pastor  of  the  Santa  Barbara 
Church.  Mr.  Quillin  did  not  receive  a  salary  from  the 
Board.  He  returned  to  the  United  £'^ates  in  1882.  His 
work  was  almost  entirely  in  behalf  of  the  North  Ameri- 
can emigrants. 

The  attempt  by  Bowen  to  start  a  mission  in  Brazil 
failed  and  the  connection  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board 
with  the  Santa  Barbara  Church  was  fraternal  rather 
than  administrative.  So,  the  work  of  Southern  Baptists 
in  behalf  of  Brazil  began  really  in  1881,  when  Rev.  and 
Mrs.  W.  B.  Bagby  were  appointed  as  missionaries  to 
that  country.  "While  Dr.  Bagby  was  acquiring  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  Portuguese  language,  he  rendered  faithful 
service  to  the  American  church  in  Santa  Barbara  and 
another  small  American  church  nearby  at  Station.  For 
many  years  Dr.  Bagby  exercised  a  sort  of  superinten- 
dence over  the  work  among  the  American  emigrants, 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

but  he  concentrated  his  main  energies  upon  reaching  the 
native  Brazilians. 

In  1882  the  Bagbys  were  joined  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Z.  C. 
Taylor.  After  a  short  time  at  Santa  Barbara,  both  these 
missionary  families  moved  to  Bahia.  On  October  15, 
1882,  they  organized  themselves  into  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Bahia. 

After  remaining  a  little  over  a  year  in  Bahia,  the 
Bagbys  moved  to  Rio  de  Janeiro,  for  the  purpose  of 
opening  our  work  in  that  city  and  also  of  giving  some 
attention  to  the  churches  at  Santa  Barbara  and  Sta- 
tion. On  August  24,  1886,  the  First  Baptist  Church  of 
Rio  de  Janeiro  was  organized. 

Thus  came  into  existence  the  work  in  Bahia,  which 
is  the  religious  capital,  and  in  Rio,  which  is  the  polit- 
ical capital  of  Brazil.  From  these  two  centers,  the 
Taylors  located  in  one  and  the  Bagbys  in  the  other, 
our  cause  spread  gradually  in  the  north  and  south  to 
the  inspiring  proportions  it  has  attained  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

The  work  grew  in  the  country  around  Bahia,  spread 
to  Pernambuco,  further  north,  and  the  region  around 
about,  up  the  seacoast,  on  up  the  mighty  Amazon 
Valley,  a  thousand  miles  even  to  Manaus. 

From  Rio  it  took  root  in  Nictheroy,  Campos,  the 
States  of  Minas,  Sao  Paulo  and,  of  late,  has  widened 
until  we  have  Baptist  churches  in  every  state  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  country  and  Baptist  state  con- 
ventions in  a  half-dozen  of  them. 

By  and  by  reinforcements  were  sent  and  institutions 
came  into  existence.  There  are  now  three  leading 
schools  of  learning — ^the  College  and  Seminary  in  Rio, 
the    College   and   Seminary  in   Pernambuco,    and   the 


INTRODUCTION  xvii 

College  for  Women  in  Sao  Paulo.  These  schools  are 
flanked  and  supported  by  a  growing  number  of  acad- 
emies and  day  schools. 

Another  most  potential  institution  is  our  publishing 
house  known  as  the  Carroll  Memorial  Publishing  House, 
whose  headquarters  are  in  Rio.  It  has  a  fine  printing 
plant  and  is  rendering  valiant  service  in  sending  Bap- 
tist literature  all  over  the  land. 

The  native  churches  have  so  developed  that  a 
National  Baptist  Convention  has  been  formed,  which 
functions  after  the  fashion  of  the  Southern  Baptist 
Convention.  It  has  its  Home,  Sunday  School,  Educa- 
tion and  Foreign  Mission  Boards.  It  supports  foreign 
missions  in  Portugal. 

There  are  221  Baptist  churches  in  Brazil,  with  20,135 
members.  One-half  of  these  churches  are  self-support- 
ing and  own  their  church  buildings.  The  South  Brazil 
Mission  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  largest  mission 
fostered  by  the  Foreign  Mission  Board. 

Certainly,  our  cause  in  Brazil  has  experienced  great 
progress.  The  growth  of  our  membership  through 
these  forty  years  has  shown  an  average  net  gain  of  ^Ye 
hundred  a  year. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  author  is  not  at- 
tempting to  write  a  history  of  Southern  Baptist  en- 
deavor in  Brazil,  nor  is  he  trying  to  give  even  a  full 
survey  of  it.  He  has  written  an  autobiography  of  more 
than  usual  interest  and  has  woven  into  it  much  about 
our  work.  His  profound  devotion  to  Brazil  makes  him 
feel  that  a  knowledge  of  the  successes  and  of  the  needs 
of  our  work  will  draw  others  into  this  field.  He  also 
hopes  that  the  material  about  Brazil  will  make  the  book 


xviii  INTRODUCTION 

more  useful  to  Mission  Study  Classes  than  an  unmixed 
autobiography  might  do.  This  combination  plan  has 
given  us  a  volume  of  absorbing  interest. 

The  reader  will  come  through  the  first  two  chapters 
which  describe  the  triumph  of  Christ  in  the  author  ^s 
Jewish  heart  and  his  thrilling  experiences  in  London 
as  a  mission  worker,  prepared  to  find  narrated  in  the 
following  chapters  stirring  adventures  in  Brazil.  The 
reader  will  not  be  disappointed.  The  remarkable  fund 
of  stories  about  his  own  missionary  experiences  and 
those  of  others  give  colorful  vividness  to  the  personal 
story.  The  human  interest  is  intense.  The  testimony 
to  the  presence  of  Divine  power  is  most  inspiring. 
The  book  should  have  a  wide  reading  and  study.  It 
contains  a  throbbing,  uplifting  message. 

T.  B.  RAY. 

Richmond,  Va.,  July  1,  1921. 


A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 


A  MISSIONARY 
ADVENTURE 

CHAPTER  I 

PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE 

Birth  and'  Education. — I  was  born  near  Suwalki, 
Poland,  on  the  sixth  day  of  August,  1867,  of  Jewish  par- 
ents, my  father  being  a  Jewish  rabbi. 

All  that  I  remember  about  my  early  life  is  that  when 
I  was  about  four  years  old,  I  was  taken  to  the  home  of 
my  father 's  people  who  lived  in  that  town  and  was  sent 
to  school. 

"When  six  years  old,  my  good  mother,  who  was  a  de- 
vout Jewess,  born  and  reared  in  Germany,  prevailed 
upon  my  father  to  allow  me  to  go  to  her  people  in 
Koenigsberg  and  study  in  the  German  schools,  as  there 
was  very  little  opportunity  for  a  Jewish  boy  to  obtain 
higher  education  in  Russian-Poland.  Though  very 
reluctant,  because  of  his  orthodox  Jewish  faith  and  fear 
of  the  Gentile  teaching,  he  consented  on  condition  that 
I  return  to  him  at  the  age  of  fourteen. 

I  remained  in  Germany  until  I  was  fourteen,  having 
completed  not  only  the  grammar  school  but  also  the 
lyceum.  My  mother  ^s  father  was  a  wheat  merchant  and 
owned  several  sailing  vessels.     He  was  a  very  learned, 

1 


2  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

widely  traveled  and  liberal  minded  man.  During  my 
holidays  lie  would  take  me  with  him  on  his  trips  to  vari- 
ous parts  of  Europe. 

Eeturning  to  Orthodoxy. — When  I  had  finished  my 
studies  at  the  lyceum  my  father  insisted  upon  my  re- 
turning to  him,  at  which  time  I  was  to  begin  prepara- 
tion for  becoming  a  Jewish  teacher.  His  plans  were 
very  simple.  I  was  to  marry  the  only  daughter  of  a 
wealthy  Jewish  family  who  would  support  me  and  the 
possible  future  family,  for  at  least  seven  years,  while 
I  was  to  give  myself  to  the  mastery  of  Hebrew  and  the 
Talmud,  as  well  as  to  the  Rabbinical  social  exigencies. 
It  was  not  an  easy  nor  congenial  task  and  my 
heart  revolted  against  it,  especially  against  the  strict 
Jewish,  or  perhaps  I  may  say  pharisaical  customs  and 
habits  prevailing.  I  could  not  accustom  myself  to  them. 
For  instance,  no  match  could  be  lighted  on  a  Sabbath 
Day — no  handkerchief  could  be  carried  in  one 's  pockets, 
and  so  on.  The  strict  orthodoxy  of  the  Jews  in  Poland 
and  Russia  becomes  intolerable  to  one  who  has  been 
trained  in  other  circles.  I  wanted  to  get  out  of  it  all 
and  get  into  the  world  and  live  my  own  life. 

Matrimonial  Speculation. — Not  until  after  much  in- 
sisting was  I  allowed  to  see  the  girl  my  father,  or 
rather  the  matrimonial  agent,  had  chosen  for  me  to 
marry.  I  found  her  to  be  a  child  of  perhaps  not  more 
than  twelve  years  of  age.  Needless  to  say  my  whole 
soul  revolted  against  the  business,  and  I  determined 
not  to  have  any  part  in  the  affair.  However,  it  was 
very  difficult  for  me  to  escape,  as  my  father,  suspecting 
my  determination,  watched  me  closely.  It  was  only 
after  every  preparation  had  been  made  for  the  wedding- 
feast  that  I  was  able  to  run  away.     I  was  then  only 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  3 

about  fifteen  years  of  age  and  I  have  never  since  seen 
the  face  of  my  father  nor  did  I  ever  learn  what  became 
of  the  girl. 

Alone  in  the  World. — I  wandered  about  some  cities 
and  villages  in  Poland,  working  my  way  from  one  place 
to  another  as  waiter,  apprentice  at  several  trades,  and, 
finally,  fell  in  with  a  traveling  merchant  who  kept  me 
as  his  secretary,  but  really  used  me  as  an  instrument 
for  some  kind  of  a  secret  political  society.  This  brought 
me  into  many  difficult  situations  and  imprisonments, 
from  which  I  was  usually  taken  out  quite  readily. 
Finally  I  had  to  flee  from  Russia  to  save  myself  from 
being  sent  to  Siberia.  I  was  near  Suwalki  when  word 
came  to  cross  the  frontier,  and  I  managed  to  send  word 
to  my  mother  to  meet  me  in  the  cemetery,  near  the  tomb 
of  my  great-grandfather  for  whom  I  had  been  named. 
There  my  mother  and  I  met  for  the  last  time.  To  my 
mother  I  owe  my  life  and  greater  usefulness,  for  had 
it  not  been  for  her,  I  would  have  been  doomed  to  live 
the  circumscribed  life  of  a  Jewish  recluse. 

I  crossed  the  frontier  that  night  and  reached  Koenigs- 
berg  where  I  found  letters  and  money  enough  to  take 
me  to  New  York  City,  the  United  States  of  America, 
the  land  of  liberty  and  opportunity  and  where  friends 
and  relatives  were  ready  to  receive  me. 

Arriving  in  London. — Unfortunately  or  otherwise,  I 
spent  all  the  money  I  had  on  the  way,  arriving  in 
Hamburg  with  only  thirty  pfenings  (three  nickels)  in 
my  possession.  No  vessel  to  New  York  would  take  me 
over  and  I  found  a  sailing  boat,  carrying  horses  to 
London  that  was  willing  to  take  me.  I  was  to  do  some 
kind  of  work,  but  we  had  a  very  rough  sea  and  I  suf- 
fered great  agonies  until  we  reached  the  Thames.     I 


4  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

will  never  forget  the  arrival  in  London  on  that  early 
September  morning  of  1882.  I  at  once  seemed  to  smell 
the  warm  odors  of  a  bakershop  and,  entering,  placed  my 
three  German  nickels  on  the  counter  and  pointed  to  a 
loaf  of  bread.  How  rapidly  this  bread  disappeared  can 
more  easily  be  imagined  than  described,  as  I  had  not 
had  any  food  for  three  days. 

In  London  I  found  an  uncle  of  mine,  my  mother's 
brother,  who  owned  a  large  dry  goods  store  in  the  East 
End  who  gladly  took  me  in  and  gave  me  work  in  his 
office  as  assistant  bookkeeper.  He  was  a  splendid  man, 
a  typical  orthodox  Jew,  adhering  strictly  to  all  that 
Moses  and  the  Holy  Fathers  required.  I  had  my  own 
room  in  the  attic  and  was  taking  special  lessons  in 
mercantile  bookkeeping  as  well  as  in  the  English  lan- 
guage. 

Hearing  the  Gospel  for  the  First  Time. — One  Sabbath 
afternoon  while  passing  through  Whitechapel  Street  I 
met  a  missionary  to  the  Jews — a  converted  Jew — who 
invited  me  to  hear  him  preach  at  the  Mildmay  Mission 
to  the  Jews  on  the  53d  chapter  of  Isaiah.  Now,  I  was 
particularly  interested  in  this  certain  chapter  of  the 
Bible  because  of  an  incident  that  had  happened  to  me 
while  in  Poland,  and  most  likely  had  it  not  been  for  this 
peculiar  incident  I  would  not  have  gone  to  this  meeting. 
The  incident  as  it  occurred  was  as  follows: 

My  father  was  celebrating  the  feast  of  the  Taber- 
nacle, living  in  a  tent  that  he  had  put  up  close  to  our 
home.  He  had  a  number  of  visitors  staying  with  him 
and  as  I  had  passed  the  age  of  thirteen  and  was  con- 
sidered a  full-fledged  Jew,  I  was  allowed  to  stay  and 
listen  to  the  talks  and  discussions.  Upon  the  table 
were  several  books  and  among  them  was  a  well  used 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  5 

copy  of  the  Prophets.  Accidentally,  for  the  question  had 
never  been  brought  to  my  attention,  I  opened  that 
book  and  was  reading  the  53d  chapter  of  Isaiah. 
There  were  some  comments  on  the  margin  and  one 
remark  seemed  to  loom  out  above  all  the  other 
scribblings,  viz.:  ''To  whom  does  the  prophet  refer 
in  this  chapter?"  Innocently  I  turned  to  my  father 
and  asked  him  the  very  same  question.  He  looked 
at  me  quite  surprised  and  a  profound  quietness  seemed 
to  come  over  him.  Not  being  answered  I  repeated  the 
question,  when  my  father  snatched  the  book  out  of  my 
hand  and  deliberately  slapped  me  in  the  face.  I  felt 
quite  chagrined  and  humiliated  and  I  confess  I  did  not 
like  that  kind  of  an  answer — ^but  in  the  Providence  of 
God,  it  served  its  purpose,  for,  when  that  Jewish  Mis- 
sionary asked  me  to  go  and  hear  him  explain  that  very 
same  chapter  I  could  not  but  remember  that  scene  in 
the  tent  and,  of  course,  went  out  of  curiosity  to  see 
if  he  had  a  better  explanation  to  give  than  the  one 
my  father  had  given. 

A  Glimpse  of  Christ. — That  was  the  turning  point. 
I  went  to  hear  him  explain  that  marvelous  prophetical 
chapter  and  though  I  could  not  understand  it  all  at 
that  time,  it  sank  into  my  heart.  He  asked  me  to  read 
the  New  Testament,  and  when  he  called  my  attention 
to  the  wonders  of  the  life  of  the  Messiah  and  how  every 
prophecy  was  fulfilled  in  Jesus,  I  was  soon  convinced 
that  the  Son  of  Mary,  the  Crucified  One,  was  the  Christ 
of  God,  the  Messiah  of  Israel,  the  Rejected  One  of  my 
people.  Oh!  how  I  wept  when  I  came  to  the  Cruci- 
fixion scene  and  read  those  awful  words:  "His  blood 
be  on  us  and  on  our  children."  It  seemed  to  me  that 
I  had  taken  an  active  part  in  the  murder  of  the  Innocent 


6  A  MISSIONAEY  ADVENTURE 

One  and  I  realized  for  the  first  time  the  reason  for 
the  terrible  history  of  the  Jews,  the  sufferings  and  per- 
secutions they  had  gone  through  and  even  were  still 
enduring.  It  was  not  long  after  this  that  I  realized  I 
must  cast  in  my  lot  with  Jesus  and  plead  for  forgive- 
ness for  the  part  I  had  in  that  great  crime  of  Calvary. 

But  if  I  did  this  I  knew  the  consequences,  for  I  had 
heard  my  uncle  condemn  and  curse  the  Jews  who  had 
abandoned  their  faith.  They  were  imposters,  according 
to  his  opinion,  persons  who  had  sold  their  souls  for 
money.  I  knew  that  my  lot  would  be  hard.  I  knew  I 
would  be  driven  away  from  his  home  where  I  had  spent 
so  many  happy  days. 

Struggling  Against  the  Light. — I  struggled  hard  for 
nearly  three  months,  against  my  own  convictions  and 
against  the  light.  My  soul  yearned  for  a  complete 
surrender  to  him  who  died  for  me  but  who,  as  risen 
Lord,  was  seated  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  pa- 
tiently waiting  to  receive  and  forgive.  My  head 
reasoned  but  my  heart  trembled  for  the  future.  I 
could  not  eat  nor  sleep,  and  my  uncle  was  contemplating 
sending  me  to  some  health  resort,  as  I  was  beginning  to 
look  very  haggard.  Personally,  I  was  fearing  that  I 
would  lose  complete  control  of  myself  or  even  my  mind. 
I  was  in  a  dreadful  dilemma. 

Finally  the  Lord  had  pity  on  me  and  gave  me  peace. 
It  happened  this  way:  As  was  my  custom  I  went  to 
the  "Wellclose  Square  Mission  and  on  this  particular 
Saturday  afternoon  the  Reverend  John  Wilkinson  had 
been  announced  to  preach.  He  took  as  his  text  Matthew 
10 :  37 :  ' '  He  that  loveth  father  or  mother  more  than 
me  is  not  worthy  of  me. ' '  He  emphasized  especially  the 
last  phrase  "not  worthy  of  me" — not  worthy  of  Jesus. 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  7 

All  that  the  preacher  said  seemed  to  touch  my  soul  and, 
when  he  asked  for  testimonies  I  could  not  help  stand- 
ing up  and  tremblingly  saying :  *  *  I  want  to  be  worthy 
of  Jesus!'* 

Decision  and  Happiness. — I  went  to  my  room  and 
paced  the  floor  until  past  midnight,  when  at  last  I 
surrendered  my  all  to  Jesus,  all  I  could  say  was,  ' '  Lord, 
make  me  worthy  of  Thee!"  I  felt  my  load  lifted.  I 
knew  that  I  was  forgiven  and  accepted  and  when  at 
last,  through  tears  of  joy  and  happy  communion  with 
him,  I  stretched  myself  on  my  bed,  I  slept  the  most 
refreshing  sleep  I  had  had  for  a  long  time.  Happiness 
and  joy  filled  my  soul. 

Testifying. — Early  next  morning,  it  was  Sunday 
morning,  I  appeared  in  due  time  for  breakfast.  My 
uncle  was  at  the  table  and  no  doubt  noticed  my  happy 
and  satisfied  look.  As  I  sat  down  to  the  table  he  asked 
me  why  I  looked  so  happy  and  I  told  him  frankly: 

''Uncle,  for  the  last  three  months  I  have  been  going 
through  a  great  struggle."  I  told  him  of  my  going  to 
the  Mission  and  the  reading  of  the  New  Testament  and 
finished  by  saying: 

' '  Last  night  I  decided  and  have  accepted  Jesus  as  my 
Savior  and  from  now  on.  Uncle,  I  want  you  to  know 
that  I  too  am  a  Christian." 

It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  how  the  good  man 
received  this  bit  of  information.  He  left  the  table  un- 
able to  touch  the  food,  pale  and  sad  as  if  his  heart 
would  break.  I,  however,  was  able  to  eat  and  enjoyed 
my  breakfast  as  I  had  not  done  for  a  long  time. 

Going  into  the  store  I  found  my  uncle  pacing  the 
floor  furiously  angry.  I  went  into  the  office  and,  when 
I  had  an  opportunity,  I  related  to  the  senior  bookkeeper 


8  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

my  happy  experience  of  the  previous  night.  He  cau- 
tioned me  not  to  tell  it  to  my  uncle  if  I  wanted  to  keep 
my  place.  Imagine  his  surprise  when  I  informed  him 
that  my  uncle  was  the  first  person  to  whom  I  had 
given  the  information.  Later  in  the  day  the  bookkeeper 
informed  me  that  my  uncle  had  told  him  that  as  long 
as  I  was  not  baptized  it  did  not  matter. 

''These  boys,"  he  had  said,  ''one  day  believe  one  thing 
and  the  next  day  another.  These  notions  will  soon  dis- 
appear and  as  long  as  he  does  not  submit  to  that  rite 
and  publicly  deny  the  faith  of  his  fathers,  it  does  not 
matter."  The  Jews  think  that  Jewish  candidates  for 
baptism  pass  through  a  special  ceremony  when  they 
are  forced  to  curse  their  God  and  the  religion  of  their 
Fathers. 

Profession  of  Faith. — I  then  and  there  determined 
to  make  my  profession  of  faith  and  immediately  spoke 
to  Mr.  Wilkinson  about  it.  After  due  inquiries  we 
agreed  to  have  it  done  at  the  Wellclose  Square  Mission, 
in  the  East  End  of  London,  one  Saturday  afternoon. 
I  invited  my  uncle  and  a  great  many  Jewish  friends  to 
be  present.  He  came  and  during  the  whole  time  did  his 
utmost  to  get  me  out  of  the  meeting.  However,  I  re- 
mained firm,  and  after  hearing  my  testimony  on  behalf 
of  Christ,  he  and  his  group  of  friends  walked  out 
boisterously,  slamming  the  door  after  them.  After  that 
never-to-be-forgotten  meeting,  Mr.  Wilkinson  and  the 
staff  of  missionaries  met  in  the  Home  of  Inquiries,  sit- 
uated in  the  North  of  London,  at  Mildmay  Park,  where 
we  had  a  delightful  time  of  prayer  and  consecration. 
It  was  almost  midnight  when  I  returned  to  my  home 
and  when  I  opened  the  door  a  shower  of  curses,  broom 
sticks,  hot  water,  met  me.    After  being  cruelly  insulted 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  9 

and  beaten,  I  was  driven  away  from  that  door  and  home. 

My  heart,  however,  was  so  full  of  joy  and  happiness 
that  I  did  not  notice  the  cold  of  that  October  night.  My 
tired  body  did  not  feel  the  hard  stones  as  I  walked  those 
streets  the  whole  night,  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  first 
day  of  my  new  life. 

Expelled  From  Home. — Early  Monday  morning, 
after  walking  all  the  night  through  the  streets  of  Lon- 
don, I  went  into  my  uncle's  store  ready  to  continue 
my  work.    At  the  door  I  met  him,  as  if  expecting  me. 

"What  do  you  wish,  Sir?"  he  said.  I  told  him, 
*^ Uncle,  I  have  come  to  work." 

** Don't  call  me  Uncle  any  more,"  he  exclaimed,  ''1 
do  not  know  you  any  more  and  you  have  absolutely 
nothing  more  to  do  here  and  the  sooner  you  get  out  of 
this  place  the  better  it  will  be  for  you." 

**AIl  right,"  I  said,  ''but  I  would  like  to  go  to  my 
room  and  get  my  clothes." 

''You  have  absolutely  nothing  here,"  he  shouted  at 
the  top  of  his  voice  and  pushing  me  to  the  door  shoved 
me  out. 

I  expected  to  be  asked  to  resign  from  my  work,  but 
to  be  expelled  like  that,  without  a  piece  of  clothing 
except  what  I  had  on,  was  quite  a  surprise.  It  left 
me  in  bad  shape.  I  only  had  a  few  shillings  in  my 
pocket  and  with  these  I  tried  to  begin  my  new  life.  I 
felt  sad,  but  in  my  heart  I  was  happy  for  being  per- 
mitted to  suffer  for  my  faith  in  my  Lord  and  Savior 
Jesus  Christ. 

The  first  few  days  passed  along  smoothly.  I  made 
the  pennies  I  had  go  a  long  way.  I  ate  as  little  as  pos- 
sible and  slept  in  what  is  known  as  the  thieves'  kitchens 
where  for  a  few  pennies  one  can  get  a  clean  bed.     I 


10  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

tried  to  get  work,  but  all  my  acquaintances  were  Jews, 
and  after  I  would  tell  them  the  reason  why  I  lost  my 
job,  they  refused  to  give  me  work.  "When  at  last  my 
limited  funds  gave  out  I  had  a  very  trying  time.  I  could 
have  informed  the  missionaries  about  my  trouble,  and 
they  no  doubt,  would  have  been  glad  to  find  some  work 
for  me ;  but  I  was  ashamed  to  do  so,  as  I  did  not  wish 
them  to  think  that  I  was  after  their  money.  Finally  one 
of  them  noticed  some  difference  in  my  appearance  and 
inquired  as  to  my  way  of  living  and  I  informed  him  of 
my  predicament.  He  found  me  a  place  in  the  Home 
of  Jewish  Converts  where  I  was  accepted  and  taught 
the  art  of  printing  which  has  been  of  such  great  use 
to  me  in  my  work  in  Brazil.  Soon  after  entering  the 
Home  I  was  baptized  by  the  Rev.  John  Wilkinson,  at 
the  Central  Hall,  Mildmay  Mission,  before  a  crowd  of 
over  three  thousand  people. 

Learning  a  Trade. — I  spent  about  three  years  in 
that  home  and  due  to  the  manager,  Mr.  McClure,  a  godly 
Christian  gentleman,  who  seemed  to  realize  that  my 
work  would  not  be  that  of  setting  up  type,  but  some- 
thing of  much  more  value  to  the  kingdom  of  God,  he 
had  me  pass  through  all  the  departments  of  that  print- 
ing plant.  My  allowance  was  very  meager,  only  a  shill- 
ing a  week,  but  we  received  good  food,  good  sleeping 
quarters,  good  clothes,  and  everything  necessary  to  our 
existence.  Again  and  again  dear  Mr.  McClure  would 
let  me  do  a  little  w^ork  overtime,  which  would  put  an 
extra  shilling  into  my  pocket  at  the  end  of  the  week. 

A  Godly  Teacher. — ^We  had  excellent  teachers.  One 
of  the  best  and  most  consecrated  men  of  God  was  Mr. 
J.  Clancy,  a  retired  officer  of  the  English  army  who 
had   seen  service   in   India.     His  life   and   his   words 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  11 

helped  me  wonderfully  and  saved  me  many  times  from 
spiritual  disaster.  The  spiritual  life  of  that  man  of 
God  to  whom  I  took  all  my  difficulties  and  trials  and 
who  taught  me  how  to  lay  it  all  at  the  feet  of  the 
Master  in  prayer  was  an  inspiration  to  me. 

Street  Preaching. — Sunday  was  always  my  best  day, 
and  was  begun  by  attending  a  Men's  Bible  Class,  under 
the  direction  of  a  layman,  Mr.  Badenoch,  of  the  Mild- 
may  Mission.  We  were  fifty  or  more  and  had  an  ex- 
cellent program  prepared  for  the  whole  year,  studying 
some  book  of  the  New  Testament.  That  was  a  real 
spiritual  uplift,  which  I  experienced  every  Sunday 
morning  before  breakfast,  and  it  was  there  that  I  also 
received  my  first  lesson  in  winning  souls  for  my  Master. 
This  Bible  Class  did  not  content  itself  with  the  study 
of  the  Word  of  God,  but  after  breakfast  we  would  meet 
again  and  go  into  the  highways  and  by-ways  of  London 
and  call  the  wanderers  in.  Several  of  the  members  of 
this  class  are  now  at  work  in  the  Lord's  vineyard — 
some  in  far-away  distant  lands. 

Thrown  into  a  Dust  Bin. — During  one  of  those  street 
meetings  I  almost  met  my  Waterloo.  Anxious  to  tell 
my  own  people,  the  Jews,  what  the  Lord  had  done  for 
me,  I  asked  a  few  of  the  members  of  that  Bible  Class 
to  go  with  me  to  the  East  End  of  London  and  help  me 
in  an  open-air  meeting  to  be  held  in  a  district  thickly 
settled  with  Jews.  They  readily  consented  and  we  chose 
a  corner  of  the  street  where  four  buildings,  almost  en- 
tirely occupied  by  Hebrews,  fronted.  The  meeting  be- 
gan as  usud,  with  singing  of  hymns  and  prayer,  and  as 
the  crowds  gathered  I  was  pointed  out  as  the  Jewish 
renegade.  As  long  as  my  companions  addressed  them 
nothing  happened,  but  as  soon  as  I  got  up  and  began 


12  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

telling  them  of  Jesus,  the  Jews,  whose  number  had 
constantly  increased,  attacked  us.  My  companions  were 
driven  away  and  I  was  caught  by  the  persecutors,  who 
threw  me  to  the  ground  and  kicked  me  about  until  I 
was  almost  dead.  When  I  came  to  myself  I  was  told 
that  I  had  been  found  by  the  police  in  a  garbage  box 
more  dead  than  alive,  with  my  skull  cracked  and  my 
body  all  covered  with  bruises.  Oh,  but  those  were 
glorious  times,  and  I  praise  my  heavenly  Father  for 
having  been  permitted  to  suffer  for  him  and  his  Holy 
cause,  even  from  the  hand  of  my  brethren  according  to 
the  flesh ! 

Excommunicated.- — It  was  a  year  after  I  had  been 
Living  my  new  and  happy  life,  enjoying  the  fellowship 
of  Christian  men  and  women  and  preparing  myself  for 
a  life  of  more  usefulness  to  my  Master  and  Lord,  that 
one  day,  like  a  bolt  of  thunder  from  the  clear  sky,  I 
received  a  note  from  another  uncle  of  mine,  a  brother 
of  my  father.  He  had  come  to  London  ''on  business, '' 
said  the  note,  "but  wished  to  see  me  before  returning 
to  Russia."  Obtaining  permission  I  ran  with  all  haste 
and  fell  into  the  arms  of  this  dear  uncle  who  had  al- 
ways treated  me  with  special  affection,  even  while  I  was 
studying  in  Germany,  and  who,  being  childless  had 
given  me  to  understand  that  I  would  one  day  inherit 
his  wealth. 

I  need  not  tell  here  all  the  particulars  of  our  meeting 
and  how  he  made  my  heart  yearn  for  home  as  he  gave 
me  all  the  news  about  everyone  that  I  loved  and  from 
whom  I  had  not  heard  since  my  conversion.  News 
from  mother  and  father  and  especially  from  my  only 
sister,  with  whom  I  had  spent  most  of  my  time  at  grand- 
mother's home  in  Germany,  and  to  whom  I  was  greatly 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  13 

attached  as  only  a  brother  can  be  to  a  sister  when 
they  are  living  under  a  strange  roof.  He  gave  me  all 
the  news  and  ended  by  asking,  "Do  you  know  what  I 
came  to  London  for?" 

''On  business,"  I  said.  ''That  is  what  you  wrote 
me." 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "I  had  some  business  to  do,  but  my 
special  business  is  to  take  you  back  home." 

"That  is  great,"  I  exclaimed,  "and  I  am  ready  to  go 
with  you  any  time  you  may  wish  to  go." 

"I  know,"  he  replied,  "that  you  are  ready  to  go,  but 
there  is  one  condition  and  that  is  that  you  leave  your 
apostasy  behind." 

It  was  then  that  my  eyes  were  opened  and  I  realized 
that  my  greatest  trial  was  at  hand.  Confused  as  it  left 
me  for  a  moment,  with  a  clear  and  distinct  note  I  told 
him  that  such  a  thing  was  impossible,  as  I  had  given 
my  heart  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  to  abandon  my  re- 
ligion I  would  have  to  tear  out  my  heart  also.  He 
smiled  sarcastically  and  informed  me  that  he  had  full 
power  from  my  father  to  have  me  excommunicated,  dis- 
inherited, disowned  by  the  family  and  considered  as 
dead.  The  reason  that  it  had  not  been  done  before  was 
because  he  himself  had  interceded  for  me,  hoping  to  get 
in  touch  with  me  and  have  me  realize  the  consequences. 
I  told  him  again  that  before  accepting  the  Lord  Jesus 
as  my  Savior  I  had  struggled  for  three  full  months 
and  had  counted  the  cost.  I  was  prepared  for  every- 
thing and  every  loss  and  if  it  only  depended  on  me  I 
was  decided  to  leave  all  there  and  then.  He  gently 
pushed  me  out  of  the  door  and  told  me  to  return  a 
week  after  that  and  then  give  him  my  final  answer. 

Oh,  the  horror  of  that  long,  seemingly  never-ending 


14  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

week!  The  devil  tried  his  very  best  to  get  a  new  hold 
on  me.  Due,  no  doubt,  to  my  state  of  nervousness  and 
sleepless  nights,  everything  seemed  to  go  wrong.  I 
fell  out  with  some  of  my  companions  in  the  home  and 
one  day,  provoked  to  anger  by  one  of  the  inmates,  I 
broke  a  chair  orver  his  head.  The  manager  thought  it 
best  to  expel  me  from  the  home.  No  one  knew  of  the 
great  trial  I  was  passing  through  except  dear  Mr. 
Clancy  and  he  asked  the  manager  to  overlook  my  fault. 
It  was  a  terrible  week  of  trial  and  temptation  and  had 
it  not  been  for  the  Lord  himself  I  would  have  surely 
failed.  What  frightened  me  most  was  the  terrible  Jew- 
ish excommunication.  I  remembered,  how  on  my  return 
to  Russia  from  Germany,  I  attended  upon  one  such 
scene  where  a  poor  fellow  was  excommunicated  for 
some  foolish  little  fault,  I  think  it  was  for  kissing  his 
wife  too  soon  after  childbirth  (a  thing  forbidden  by  the 
Rabbis).  It  was  a  harrowing  scene,  and  the  curses,  as 
they  were  read  out  by  the  rabbi,  made  me  shiver.  My 
soul  revolted  and  I  did  not  want  to  see  it  any  more, 
much  less  be  the  protagonist  himself  in  such  a  ceremony. 
Cursed  and  Disinherited. — The  week  ended  and  I 
went  out  fortified  by  the  prayers  of  that  man  of  God, 
Mr.  Clancy,  ready  to  give  my  testimony  concerning  my 
Savior  and  Lord.  I  found  my  uncle,  or  rather  both 
of  my  uncles,  and  several  elderly  Jews,  whose  flowing 
white  beards  inspired  great  respect  and  attention.  All 
received  me  gladly  and  gave  me  a  hearty  welcome.  We 
had  a  long  talk  about  the  greatness  of  the  God  of  Israel, 
of  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob.  I  was  finally 
asked  for  my  decision  and  I  gave  it  to  them  in  a  few 
very  simple  and  plain  statements.  I  told  them  of  my 
struggles   before   accepting   Jesus    as   the   Messiah.      I 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  15 

gave  them  my  experience  when  I  first  went  to  hear  the 
explanation  of  the  fifty-third  chapter  of  Isaiah.  I 
told  them  of  my  life  and  happiness  since  then  and  of 
my  desire  to  serve  him,  my  Savior  and  Lord,  even  as 
a  printer,  helping  to  spread  the  knowledge  of  him 
whom  to  know  is  life  eternal.  Sadness  came  upon  all 
their  faces,  especially  upon  those  of  my  uncles.  One  of 
the  elderly  Jews,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  informed  me 
of  the  consequences,  and  of  his  awful  duty  to  proceed 
with  my  excommunication  and  disinheritance.  I  told 
him  that  I  had  counted  the  cost,  that  I  was  ready  to 
go  to  the  limit  and  if  necessary  give  my  life  for  the 
Messiah. 

He  then  began  to  read  the  excommunication  cere- 
mony :  ' '  Cursed  be  he  by  day,  cursed  by  night ;  cursed 
when  standing  and  cursed  when  lying  down;  cursed 
when  eating  and  cursed  when  drinking";  and  so  on 
for  a  long  time. 

At  first  my  heart  fell  within  me  and  it  seemed  to  me 
as  if  the  ground  upon  which  I  stood  opened  and  that 
I  was  being  hurled  into  a  bottomless  pit.  Oh,  the  horror 
of  that  moment!  Thank  God  it  was  only  a  moment! 
Then  my  heart  cried  unto  my  Lord  and  it  seemed  to  me 
as  if  I  saw  him  upon  the  Cross  with  outstretched  arms 
and  over  the  Cross  I  saw  written  in  plain  and  shining 
letters  that  wonderful  text: 

^'HE  REDEEMED  US  FROM  THE  CURSE  OF 
THE  LAW,  BEING  MADE  A  CURSE  FOR  US.'* 
Galatians  3:13 

I  heard  the  good  old  men  finish  the  reading  of  those 
curses.     Tears  were  streaming  down  the  faces  of  my 


16  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Tincles  and  they  wept  as  if  their  hearts  would  break, 
but  my  own  soul  was  filled  with  a  peace  that  passeth 
all  understanding.  I  felt  myself  filled  with  a  joy 
unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.  When  the  good  man 
had  finished  reading  those  curses  and  he  gave  me  to 
understand  that  from  that  moment  on  I  was  an  outcast 
and  dead  to  the  family,  I  merely  said  in  answer: 
''Gentlemen,  is  that  all?"  They  nodded  their  heads 
in  assent.  I  then  said,  ''Well,  good-bye,  and  may  the 
Lord  have  mercy  upon  your  souls." 

I  left  that  room  with  my  heart  rejoicing.  I  was  so 
happy  that  I  did  not  know  what  I  was  doing.  I  walked 
into  the  arms  of  a  big  policeman  and  he  asked  me  if 
I  was  drunk  and  I  told  him,  "No,  sir,  but  I  am  very 
happy!" 

Regions  Beyond  Mission  College. — I  spent  three  won- 
derful years  in  that  Home  for  Jewish  Converts.  There 
I  not  only  learned  a  trade,  but  also  how  to  work  for 
my  Master. 

One  other  great  joy  to  me  was  the  Sunday  school 
and  work  among  the  little  children.  It  was  at  one  of 
these  meetings  that  my  attention  was  called  to  the  need 
af  preparation  for  better  service.  I  was  having  two 
weeks'  vacation  at  the  seashore  in  Brighton,  helping  in 
the  meetings  for  the  children  on  the  seashore.  It  was 
there  I  met  Miss  C.  Bishop,  a  young  English  woman,  a 
trained  nurse,  and  a  volunteer  for  foreign  mission  work. 
We  had  long  talks  together  about  the  Master's  service 
and  she  convinced  me  of  the  necessity  of  consecrating 
my  life  to  the  great  work  of  saving  souls  in  the  foreign 
field.  On  my  return  to  the  city  I  applied  to  the  China 
Inland  Mission  for  work.  I  was  called  before  the  Board 
and  was  informed  that  they  would  be  glad  to  send  me 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  17 

out,  but  that  I  needed  more  instruction  in  Christianity. 
I  was  advised  to  apply  to  some  seminary.  I  wrote  to 
the  great  London  preacher,  Charles  H.  Spurgeon,  stat- 
ing my  need  and  desire.  I  received  a  very  kind  and 
helpful  letter,  telling  me  that  all  vacancies  in  his  semi- 
nary were  taken  and  even  if  they  had  a  vacancy  there 
were  a  great  many  of  their  own  denomination  waiting 
for  an  opening  and  that  it  would  be  better  for  me  to 
apply  to  the  Regions  Beyond  Missionary  Training 
School,  where  cases  like  mine  would  be  immediately 
taken  up.  Desirous  of  a  preparation  for  my  Master's 
service  I  wrote  immediately  to  Dr.  Grattan-Guinness 
and  it  was  not  long  until  I  received  the  welcome  letter 
advising  me  that  I  could  report  to  the  school,  Harley 
College,  Bow  Street,  London.  I  suppose  there  was  no 
happier  man  on  the  face  of  the  earth  than  the  writer 
when,  with  the  few  pieces  of  baggage  I  possessed,  I  en- 
tered the  gates  of  that  great  schooL  I  passed  three  years 
of  my  life  there,  never-to-be-forgotten  years,  learning 
not  only  how  to  rightly  divide  the  Word  of  God,  but 
also  how  to  work  acceptably  for  my  Master  and  Lord. 
Training  for  Work — After  a  few  months  of  trial  I 
was  sent  to  Cliff  College,  Derbyshire,  a  branch  of  the 
Regions  Beyond  Missionary  Training  College,  where  the 
great  man  of  God,  Professor  Rutcliff,  wielded  a  singular 
influence.  It  was  there  that  I  received  the  world  vision 
of  work  to  be  done.  It  was  in  this  institution  that  I 
began  to  realize  the  possibilities  of  a  life  for  him  who 
gave  his  life  for  me.  The  visits  of  Dr.  Gordon,  Joseph 
Parker,  F.  B.  Meyer,  Grattan-Guinness,  the  great  Bible 
expositor  and  that  of  his  son  Harry,  the  great  evangel- 
ist, the  coming  and  going  of  missionaries,  their  stories 
of  heroism  in  the  far-away  foreign  fields,  made  my 


18  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

heart  yearn  to  do  and  dare  something  also  and  when 
the  three  years  were  finished  and  I  received  an  invita- 
tion to  the  Neglected  Continent,  I  did  not  hesitate. 
Although  I  had  no  guarantee  for  my  support,  I  went, 
fully  realizing  that  I  was  in  his  service  and  was  ready 
to  give  my  life  and  my  all  to  him  who  had  done  so 
much  for  me. 

First  Attempts  in  Service. — During  my  three  years' 
stay  at  the  Regions  Beyond  Mission  College,  both  at  Cliff 
and  Harley  College,  I  took  active  part  in  mission  work, 
especially  during  the  holidays.  I  had  a  permanent  work 
at  the  Industrial  Home  situated  in  the  London  slums 
and  still  possess  a  beautiful  Bible,  given  to  me  by  the  lady 
superintendent.  Miss  Annie  Macpherson,  in  the  name  of 
the  co-workers  in  recognition  of  services  rendered. 

Most  of  my  time  was  given  to  work  among  the  Jews, 
and  during  the  holidays  I  was  employed  by  the  Mild- 
may  Mission  to  the  Jews  as  visitor  and  Bible  distribu- 
tor. I  cannot  narrate  all  that  happened  to  me  during 
those  days;  however,  I  give  one  or  two  incidents  which 
will  show  the  difficulties  of  working  among  the  Jews. 

Beaten  hy  White-Slavers. — On  one  of  my  furloughs 
I  was  employed  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the  incom- 
ing boats  from  Europe  and  watching  for  girls  that  were 
smuggled  into  England  for  white-slavery.  My  work 
was  to  meet  the  boats  before  touching  the  docks  and 
find  out  the  destination  of  the  Jewish  girls. 

As  a  rule,  the  white-slavers  consigned  the  girls,  either 
married  or  to  be  married,  to  some  rascal  in  London, 
and  from  there  they  were  transferred  to  some  other 
country  for  exploitation.  It  was  easy  for  me,  after 
conversation  with  some  of  the  girls,  to  find  out  where 
they  were  going  and  then  call  their  attention  to  what 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  19 

wa^  awaiting  them.  Some  would  listen  to  me  and  would 
accept  the  offer  of  help  and  gladly  follow  the  lady  to 
whom  I  would  direct  them,  and  thus  be  saved  from  a 
life  of  shame  and  disgrace.  Others  would  refuse  to 
listen  to  reason,  and  these  I  had  to  turn  over  to  the 
proper  authorities.  Soon,  however,  these  white-slavers 
learned  of  my  work,  and  so  it  was  not  long  after  that 
they  waylaid  me  and  gave  me  a  beating  from  which  it 
took  me  a  long  while  to  recover.  Why  they  did  not  kill 
me  I  cannot  imagine,  except  that  the  Lord  had  some 
other  work  for  me  to  do. 

Thrown  Down  a  Spiral  Stair-Case. — At  another  time, 
I  was  visiting  the  Jewish  district  with  a  young  Jewish 
convert,  who  was  at  the  same  college  preparing  him- 
self for  work  as  a  medical  missionary,  a  Mr.  Davidson 
by  name.  We  were  accosted  by  a  young  Jewish  fellow 
who  told  us  that  at  a  certain  building  on  the  fifth  floor, 
was  a  shoe  factory  where  all  employees  were  Jews  and 
where  the  subject  of  Christianity  was  being  discussed 
daily.  He  asked  us  to  visit  the  place  and  bring  New 
Testaments,  as  they  were  very  anxious  to  possess  a 
copy.  He  spoke  so  earnestly  that  we  did  not  suspect 
the  trap  that  had  been  set  for  us.  When  we  appeared 
there  later  in  the  afternoon,  we  knocked  at  the  first 
door  and  as  soon  as  they  recognized  us  they  asked  us 
to  go  to  the  next  door.  When  we  reached  the  next  door, 
all  men  working  in  the  first  room  came  out  with  their 
implements  of  work,  hammers,  stones,  and  knives  and 
attacked  us  from  behind,  barring  the  way  to  the  stair- 
case, the  only  way  of  escape,  while  those  of  the  second 
room  attacked  us  in  the  front.  As  soon  as  I  discovered 
the  situation  my  first  thought  was  to  save  Davidson, 
who  was  a  frail,  weak  young  fellow.     Covering  him 


20  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

with  my  body,  I  pushed  him  to  the  stairs  and  made  him 
run  down  telling  him  to  call  the  police.  Meanwhile 
the  group  of  Jews,  numbering  about  thirty  or  forty, 
af  ;:er  belaboring  me  the  best  they  knew  how  with  their 
hammers  and  lasts,  got  hold  of  my  limbs  and  turning 
me  head  downwards  placed  me  in  the  middle  of  the 
spiral  stair-case  and  deliberately  dropped  me  down  with 
the  intention,  of  course,  of  having  me  break  my  neck. 
Fortunately  I  had  had  excellent  training  while  in  Ger- 
many and  I  had  not  gono  far  down  the  space  when  I 
managed  to  lay  hold  of  the  spiral  stair-case  and  getting 
astride  the  banister  I  slid  down  and  made  good  my 
escape,  which  was  a  very  narrow  one  indeed. 

The  Call  to  Service. — The  above  experiences  as  well 
as  a  great  many  other  facts  convinced  me  that  my  call 
for  work  was  not  to  be  among  the  Jews,  but  among  the 
Gentiles.  Today  I  am  more  than  ever  convinced  that 
the  mission  of  the  converted  Jew  is  not  to  the  lost 
tribes  of  Israel,  but  to  those  who  know  not  God,  the 
true  God  and  his  Savior  Jesus  Christ.  I  was  in  the 
college  studying  and  biding  my  time  as  well  as  await- 
ing my  call.  I  knew  that  in  due  time  my  Lord  would 
open  a  way  for  me.  Meanwhile  I  was  preparing  my- 
self the  best  way  possible  for  whatsoever  he  would 
think  me  fit  to  do. 

While  in  college  I  received  several  invitations.  A 
missionary  from  India  came  to  see  me  and  we  talked 
and  prayed  long  and  earnestly  about  the  great  oppor- 
tunities for  work  in  that  great  field,  especially  in  the 
line  of  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures,  but  that  work 
did  not  appeal  to  me.  Another  appeal  came  to  me  for 
work  in  Jamaica,  among  the  needy  negro  churches,  but 
I  passed  that  by.    One  day  young  Dr.  Harry  Guinness, 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  21 

called  me  to  his  office,  told  me  that  a  lady,  just  re- 
turned from  Brazil,  where  she  and  her  deceased  hus- 
band had  spent  a  great  many  years,  was  anxious  to 
send  out  a  missionary  to  that  country  on  the  following 
plan:  Pay  his  passage  and  outfit  and  one  hundred 
pounds  sterling,  on  condition  that  he  learn  the  lan- 
guage and  work  for  a  year  as  a  self-supporting,  inde- 
pendent missionary.  Dr.  Guinness  thought  that  I  was 
the  man  for  that  work,  and  I  asked  for  time  to  think 
and  pray  about  it. 

That  offer  appealed  to  me.  Once  there  came  to  our 
Bible  Class  in  the  Mildmay  Hall,  a  Mr.  VanOrden,  a 
converted  Jew  and  Presbyterian  missionary  in  Brazil, 
who  told  us  about  the  opportunities  in  that  great  neg- 
lected field.  I  was  greatly  stirred  by  his  message  and 
remember  having  contributed  something  to  his  printing 
outfit,  though  my  salary  then  was  only  one  shilling  a 
week.  Then  also  when  a  child,  while  studying  in  the 
schools  of  Germany,  I  used  to  read  all  the  books  I  could 
secure  about  Brazil,  its  vast  prairies,  its  wonderful 
gold  mines  and  diamond  fields,  its  wild  Indians  and  its 
unexplored  regions.  Now  while  I  prayed  for  light  all 
those  facts  came  back  to  me  and  the  neglected  Indians 
seemed  to  loom  up  with  outstretched  hands  and  appeal 
to  me  to  come  over  and  help  them.  The  next  day  I 
gave  Dr.  Guinness  my  decision.  I  accepted  the  offer. 
Though  I  did  not  know  it  then  I  found  out  later  that 
the  lady  in  question  was  no  other  than  Mrs.  Kalley, 
the  wife  of  the  founder  of  the  Congregational  Mission 
in  Brazil.  I  was  invited  to  spend  a  week  with  that  good 
lady  at  her  home  in  Edinburgh,  where  I  suppose  I  was 
duly  inspected  and  must  have  given  satisfaction,  as  it 
was  not  long  after  that  I  was  told  to  prepare  for  my 


22  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

trip  to  Brazil,  by  way  of  Portugal,  where  I  was  to  stay 
in  the  home  of  a  Brazilian  family  and  learn  the  in- 
tricacies of  the  Portuguese  language,  the  language  used 
in  Brazil. 

Ordination  Service  and  Farewell. — My  farewell  and 
ordination  service  took  place  at  the  Conference  Hall, 
Mildmay  Park,  London,  and  the  following  ministers 
took  part :  Rev.  John  "Wilkinson,  Episcopal  minister 
and  director  of  the  Mildmay  Mission  to  the  Jews;  Rev. 
H.  Grattan-Guinness,  D.  D.,  Baptist  minister  and  direc- 
tor of  the  Regions  Beyond  Mission ;  Rev.  Hudson  Taylor, 
of  the  China  Inland  Mission;  Mr.  P.  S.  Badenoch,  my 
Bible  Teacher;  Honorable  James  Mathieson,  director 
of  the  Mildmay  Mission,  and  another  minister  of  the 
Wesleyans,  whose  name  I  cannot  recall.  It  was  a  very 
impressive  service  and  I  will  never  forget  the  advice 
and  counsel  given  to  me  during  that  solemn  hour. 

My  farewells  did  not  take  long.  I  had  no  relatives  in 
England  to  whom  I  cared  to  say  good-bye.  My  uncle 
would  not  receive  me.  In  the  Home  of  the  JVIildmay 
Mission  to  the  Jews  I  had  several  friends  that  had  en- 
deared themselves  to  me  and  so  also  those  of  Harley 
College  and  some  of  the  companions  in  the  different 
mission  stations  where  I  had  been  working  while  study- 
ing. But  the  only  person  that  really  cared  for  me,  in 
some  sort  of  a  personal  way,  was  Miss  Carrie  Bishop, 
a  trained  nurse  of  the  Royal  Hospital,  to  whom  I  was 
then  engaged  and  who  was  the  last  one  to  leave  the 
boat  on  which  I  was  leaving  London.  We  prayed  to- 
gether for  a  long  time  and  consecrated  our  lives  anew 
to  the  Master  and  to  the  work  in  that  great  and  neg- 
lected continent,  to  which  I  was  then  going,  and  to 
which  she  was  to  come  after  a  year  or  so. 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  23 

I  left  London  on  January  21,  1890,  on  a  small  vessel, 
with  capacity  for  only  eight  passengers  for  Oporto, 
Portugal.  We  had  a  very  rough  voyage.  We  encoun- 
tered bad  weather  from  the  start  and  had  to  take  refuge 
several  times  in  several  ports  on  the  south  coast  of 
England.  It  took  us  twelve  days  to  make  a  trip  that 
usually  only  took  two  or  two  and  a  half  days.  Finally 
we  reached  Vigo,  on  the  coast  of  Spain,  in  a  very 
dilapidated  state,  and  after  a  little  trimming  and  re- 
pairing we  continued  on  our  voyage,  reaching  Oporto, 
situated  on  one  of  the  most  beautiful  bays  one  could 
possibly  imagine.  It  seemed  as  if  nature  was  compen- 
sating us  for  the  many  days  of  suffering. 

Learning  the  Language. — I  reached  Oporto,  Portu- 
gal, on  February  2,  1890,  and  was  received  into  the 
home  of  Senor  Fernandes  Braga,  a  rich  Brazilian  mer- 
chant and  consecrated  believer,  a  Portuguese  by  birth, 
who  was  spending  a  few  months  in  his  native  country, 
recuperating  from  effects  of  the  tropical  heat. 

In  the  home  of  this  good  Christian  family  I  began 
the  study  of  the  Portuguese  tongue.  I  was  very  anxious 
to  learn  the  language  as  soon  as  possible  and  to  facili- 
tate my  object  I  gave  myself  to  the  task  of  learning  at 
least  a  hundred  words  per  day  out  of  the  dictionary. 
The  family  had  a  young  English,  though  Portuguese- 
born,  governess,  who  helped  me  wonderfully  in  the  way 
of  pronouncing  the  words.  At  the  end  of  the  first 
month  I  had  a  fairly  good  number  of  words  to  begin 
on  and  so  resolved  to  write  a  tract  first  in  English, 
translate  it  into  Portuguese  and  then  go  into  the  coun- 
try to  sell  it  to  the  people. 

I  prepared  the  tract  giving  it  the  following  title: 
'*Sao  Pedro  Nunca   Foi   Papa!"    (''Saint   Peter   was 


24  A  MISSIONARY  ADYENTUEB 

never  a  Pope") :  The  study  of  this  subject  helped  me 
to  grasp  the  questions  that  always  arise  when  you  talk 
to  a  priest,  as  well  as  illustrate  to  the  public  one  of  the 
most  debatable  questions  among  them.  Mr.  Jones,  an 
independent  Baptist  merchant,  member  of  Spurgeon's 
Tabernacle,  helped  me  not  only  in  correcting  the  final 
proofs,  but  also  in  certain  important  historical  data. 

After  printing  the  tract  I  stuffed  my  hand-bag  full  of 
them  and  put  my  dictionary  into  my  pocket  and  boarded 
a  train  for  my  first  venture  into  foreign  mission  work. 
I  had  been  only  a  month  in  Portugal  and,  though  I 
could  read  Portuguese,  I  was  not  able  to  speak  it  nor 
understand  it  very  easily. 

It  is  surprising  to  me  even  today  the  number  of 
tracts  I  sold.  I  really  did  not  meet  with  any  difficulties 
except  one  when  I  offered  the  tract  to  a  Catholic  priest. 
He  read  the  title  and  began  to  gesticulate  very  ex- 
citedly. Not  understanding  him  at  all,  I  just  smiled 
my  most  captivating  smile,  which  seemed  to  anger  him 
more  than  ever.  Finally  he  began  shaking  his  fist  at 
me,  which,  of  course,  I  understood  perfectly  and  got 
out  of  his  way,  but  the  Portuguese  passengers  took  the 
matter  up  for  me  and  made  the  place  so  uncomfortable 
for  the  poor  priest  that  he  had  to  leave  the  car  at  the 
next  stopping  place,  and  I  was  able  to  sell  every  tract 
I  had  with  me. 

Portuguese  University  Students. — Another  time  I 
was  in  the  city  of  Coimbra,  where  the  celebrated  Uni- 
versity is  situated,  and  sold  a  good  many  of  those  tracts. 
In  the  afternoon  the  University  students  saw  me  and 
suspected  that  I  was  English.  There  was  some  political 
trouble  between  England  and  Portugal  then  and  I  had 
purposely  published  on  the  title  page,  under  my  name, 


PREPARATION  FOR  SERVICE  25 

that  I  was  Russian.  A  group  of  the  students  soon 
gathered,  and  followed  me  as  I  went  from  house  to 
house  offering  that  tract.  Finally  I  saw  that  one  was 
being  sent  to  look  into  the  matter. 

Upon  reaching  me,  he  brutally  snatched  a  tract  out 
of  my  hand  asked  me  what  I  was  doing.  I  told  him 
that  I  was  trying  to  sell  my  tracts. 

Then  he  began  a  tirade  against  the  English,  of  which 
I  could  not  understand  much,  except  what  I  had  been 
told  to  expect.  I  gently  called  his  attention  to  the  fact 
that  I  was  Russian  and  not  English.  As  soon  as  he 
was  convinced  of  the  fact,  he  beckoned  to  his  com- 
panions and  informed  them  that  I  was  Russian  and 
therefore  an  enemy  to  the  English  and  they  cheered  me 
for  all  I  was  worth.  Of  course,  I  sold  every  tract  that 
I  had  brought  with  me  and  was  indeed  sorry  that  I 
had  not  brought  thousands,  instead  of  a  few  hundreds. 

Fleeing  From  Portugal. — Having  sold  some  three 
thousands  of  this  my  first  tract,  I  set  myself  to  write 
another,  this  time  a  stronger  and  more  impertinent  one 
about  Roman  Catholic  teachings.  As  was  my  habit  I 
had  visited  and  examined  most  of  the  native  churches, 
I  found  a  great  many  relics  and  superstitious  rags  that 
the  Roman  priesthood  was  exploiting  and  against  which 
my  heart  revolted.  The  worship  of  relics,  of  rags  and 
bones  of  the  saints,  the  idolatry,  the  overbearing  domi- 
nation of  the  priests,  the  ignorance  concerning  God 
among  the  people;  all  these  things  stirred  me  power- 
fully. I  then  wrote  the  second  tract  entitled,  **The  Re- 
ligion of  Rags,  Bones  and  Flour'*  (*'A  Religiao  De 
Trapos,  Ossos  E.  Farinha").  After  getting  this  tract 
in  shape  and  selling  a  few  hundred  copies,  I  received 
jvarning  that  the  best  thing  I  could  do  would  be  to 


26  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

leave  the  country  immediately  as  tlie  Ultramontane  ele- 
ment (Jesuits)  were  working  up  a  case  against  me  to 
put  me  in  prison,  a  place  I  was  not  very  anxious  to  go 
just  then.  So  packing  into  my  trunk  the  few  articles 
of  my  possessions  and  taking  advantage  of  the  company 
of  Mr.  Maxwell  "Wright,  a  celebrated  English-Portu- 
guese evangelist,  who  was  then  going  to  Brazil  to  hold 
evangelistic  services,  I  left  Portugal.  I  reached  Rio  de 
Janeiro  on  June  10,  1890. 

My  stay  in  Portugal  had,  however,  been  very  helpful 
to  me,  fiot  only  because  of  my  learning  the  language  in 
the  land  where  it  is  spoken,  but  also  because  it  had 
given  me  a  splendid  insight  into  the  working  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church.  Brazil  was  originally  a  colony 
of  Portugal  and  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Brazil  are  descendants  of  Portuguese  stock.  What  I 
appreciated  most  was  the  study  of  the  Catholic  religion 
in  Portugal  from  whence  it  was  transplanted  into  the 
colony,  and  which  today,  with  very  little  modification, 
is  the  religion  that  prevails  in  Brazil.  Most  of  the 
priests  in  Brazil  are  Portuguese  by  birth  whose  only 
object  seems  to  be  to  make  a  fortune  and  then  return 
to  the  home-land  and  live  in  prosperity  ever  after. 
The  same  superstitions,  the  same  ignorance  and  thought- 
lessness about  personal  responsibility  toward  God  and 
toward  one  another  prevails.  Rome  ruined  Portugal 
and  made  it  the  laughing-stock  of  other  nations.  Rome 
is  doing  the  same  in  Brazil  today.  Brazil,  although  the 
richest  in  natural  products  among  the  countries  of  the 
world,  is  today  being  degraded  by  the  craftiness  and 
intrigues  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  just  as  has 
been  the  case  with  all  peoples,  nations  and  tribes  that 
have  come  under  its  baneful  influence. 


CHAPTER  II 

GETTING  MY  BEARINGS 

Among  Congregationalists. — I  had  no  definite  convic- 
tions nor  settled  ideas  as  to  denominations.  I  really 
never  had  studied  the  question  of  denominations  on  ac- 
count of  my  conversion  having  taken  place  in  an  un- 
denominational mission. 

Arriving  in  Brazil  I  naturally  looked  for  a  church 
of  an  undenominational  character.  I  found  that  the 
Fluminense  church,  of  which  Dr.  Kalley  was  the 
founder  and  to  which  the  Braga  family  belonged,  was 
more  to  my  liking,  being  a  kind  of  Congregational 
church  with  a  Presbyterian  directorate.  One  thing 
especially  that  I  liked  about  it  was  the  fact  that  they 
did  not  practice  infant  baptism,  a  practice  that  my 
conscience  repelled  as  soon  as  I  accepted  Christianity. 
It  always  seemed  to  me  like  the  shadow  of  Judaism  and 
ceremonialism,  which  I  abhorred. 

The  pastor  of  this  church  was  the  Rev.  John  M.  G. 
dos  Santos,  a  native  Brazilian  educated  at  C.  H.  Spur- 
geon's  College.  He  was  a  good  man,  but  extremely 
conservative.  It  took  me  quite  a  time  to  convince  him 
that  I  had  no  intentions  of  substitutng  him  and  that 
my  only  desire  was  to  help  him  in  his  ministry.  As 
an  illustration,  let  me  tell  what  he  did  when  I  was  be- 
ginning open-air  services  in  Brazil. 

27 


28  A  MISSIONAKY  ADVENTURE 

A  temporary  Constitution  had  been  adopted  by  the 
new  Republic  and  was  then  being  discussed.  In  it  com- 
plete liberty  was  given  to  all  faiths  and  creeds  and  sep- 
aration of  Church  from  the  State  recommended.  I 
thought  it  an  excellent  time  to  try  the  worth  of  such 
a  law.  I  asked  the  pastor  to  announce  an  open-air 
service  for  a  certain  Sunday  afternoon,  to  take  place 
on  the  same  square  on  which  the  Republic  was  pro- 
claimed. Having  to  preach  that  morning  in  Nictheroy, 
across  the  bay,  I  was  not  present  at  the  announcement. 
I  was  informed  that  he  had  made  the  following  state- 
ment: 

''Brother  Ginsburg  asked  me  to  tell  you  that  he  in- 
tends to  hold  an  open-air  meeting  on  the  Square  of  the 
Republic.  My  advice  to  you  is  not  to  go,  as  the  Con- 
stitution has  not  been  approved  and  we  may  thus  en- 
danger the  adoption  of  such  a  law.'* 

At  three  o'clock  I  was  on  the  Square  and  looking 
around  for  helpers  I  only  found  four  women — a  mother 
with  her  two  daughters  and  one  sister.  Asking  for  the 
loan  of  a  stool  from  the  keeper  of  the  Public  Garden, 
situated  on  one  side  of  the  square,  I  climbed  upon  it 
and  started  singing  a  hymn.  Not  more  than  a  minute 
passed  before  a  great  multitude  stood  around  us  listen- 
ing attentively  to  the  message  I  gave  them  in  the  name 
of  Jesus.  As  the  meeting  continued  more  listeners  came 
until  there  must  have  been  more  than  five  thousand 
standing  around  us.  I  told  them  of  Jesus  and  his 
power  to  save  and  nothing  else  happened  than  a  man 
shouting : 

''Why  don't  you  tell  us  something  about  the  Virgin 
Mary.  You  speak  only  of  Jesus,  Jesus;  tell  us  some- 
thing about  Mary." 


GETTING  MY  BEAKINGS  29 

I  did  not  pay  any  attention  to  that  and  continued 
to  preach  Christ  and  him  crucified.  It  was  a  glorious 
beginning.  When  I  had  finished  my  discourse  a  group 
of  about  a  hundred  members  of  the  church  were  near 
me  and  said,  ' '  What  a  fine  meeting  that  was ! "  I  said, 
"Yes,  but  not  with  your  help.'* 

Work  in  Nictheroy. — During  my  first  few  months  in 
Brazil  I  worked  across  the  bay  in  the  Nictheroy  church, 
or  rather  congregation.  I  found  a  small  group  of  be- 
lievers that  had  preaching  in  the  home  of  a  family  about 
once  a  month.  We  soon  changed  that  to  full-time 
preaching.  We  rented  a  house  on  one  of  the  principal 
streets  of  the  city  right  in  front  of  the  bay,  I  began  a 
series  of  meetings  that  grew  in  interest  and  power. 
The  open-air  services  helped  wonderfully  and  I  began 
to  hold  them  regularly  all  over  the  town.  In  one  of  the 
districts,  known  as  the  toughest,  the  people  tried  to 
topple  over  the  chair  on  which  I  was  standing  with 
the  object  of  falling  on  me  and  stabbing  or  wounding 
me.  The  believers,  however,  stood  around  the  chair 
that  was  serving  as  my  platform  and  when  any  of  the 
ruffians  attempted  to  get  in  between  them  they  closed 
up  shoulder  to  shoulder  and  kept  them  away. 

Kicked  Out  of  a  Store. — My  financial  support,  at  that 
time  I  received  from  selling  Bibles  and  books.  It  is  a 
work  that  helps  one  to  get  better  acquainted  with  the 
people.  The  work,  however,  is  very  difficult,  especially 
with  what  I  tried  to  do  in  the  church,  but  it  gives  ex- 
cellent experience  and  helps  wonderfully  in  the  ac- 
quisition of  the  language. 

One  day  I  went  into  a  store  in  one  of  the  suburbs 
of  Kio  de  Janeiro  and  offered  for  sale  a  Bible.  The 
man  refused  to  buy;  but  as  I  thought  that  the  man 


30  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

ought  to  buy  one,  I  insisted  until  he  lost  his  temper  and 
laying  hold  of  me  and  the  books  deliberately  kicked  me 
out  of  his  store. 

I  calmly  picked  up  the  books,  wiped  the  dirt  off  their 
covers  and  returned  to  the  store  again.  I  informed  the 
man,  in  the  best  Portuguese  I  knew,  that  he  had  com- 
mitted a  crime  because  having  a  public  store,  with  an 
open  door,  he  naturally  had  to  have  people  coming  in 
to  buy  or  to  sell  and  that  his  way  of  treating  me  was 
altogether  inhuman.  If  I  had  committed  any  crime  the 
police  were  there  to  protect  him,  but  that  he  had  no 
right  to  throw  me  out  like  he  did  and  injure  the  goods 
I  had  for  sale.  The  best  thing,  I  suggested,  for  him 
to  do  was  to  buy  the  book  I  offered,  or  else  I  would 
call  the  police  and  tell  them  what  he  had  done.  The 
man  bought  the  Bible. 

One  day  I  was  in  very  great  need  of  money.  I  did 
not  have  a  cent  of  my  own  and  was  very  hungry.  I 
went  to  the  agency  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  and  asked  for  one  hundred  Gospels  of  John.  I 
took  them  to  the  mose  frequented  Public  Square  in  Rio, 
right  at  the  head  of  the  celebrated  Ouvidor  Street. 
Climbing  up  the  steps  of  the  Catholic  Church  situated 
on  that  Square  I  offered  to  the  worshipers  coming  and 
going  to  and  from  the  church  the  Gospel  of  John,  and 
in  less  than  a  half  hour  I  had  the  hundred  copies  sold. 
When,  I  returned  with  another  hundred  I  found  a  priest 
watching.  I  suppose  someone  must  have  called  his 
attention  to  it.  Though  there  is  no  difference  between 
our  edition  and  the  one  published  by  the  Catholics,  yet 
the  priest  does  not  want  his  people  to  read  the  Bible 
and  I  thought  it  best  to  leave  the  place. 

Evangelizing  In  the  Interior. — Mr.  Maxwell  Wright, 


GETTING  MY  BEARINGS  31 

who  had  crossed  the  ocean  on  the  same  steamer  with 
me  in  1890,  was  holding  evangelistic  services  in  the 
various  evangelical  churches  of  Rio.  My  knowledge  of 
the  Portuguese  language  at  that  time  was  rather  im- 
perfect and,  being  unable  to  preach,  I  did  my  best  to 
fill  the  churches  for  the  preacher,  inviting  the  public 
and  sometimes  rather  forcing  them  to  go  in.  I  know 
that  in  many  places,  were  it  not  for  such  efforts  he 
would  have  preached  to  empty  benches.  At  least  that 
was  what  he  himself  told  me. 

After  a  period  of  work  in  the  great  city  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro  we  went  into  the  interior  and  had  wonderful 
times  together.  Mr.  Wright  was  a  good  gospel  preacher 
and  knew  the  language  well,  though  his  pronunciation 
was  markedly  continental  and  not  Brazilian.  The 
people  liked  it  though,  as  it  sounded  like  he  was  a  native 
Portuguese  instead  of  an  Englishman.  "We  usually 
managed  to  obtain  the  largest  hall  in  the  town,  as  a 
rule  the  Public  Theatre,  and  the  crowds  would  come  to 
listen  to  the  gospel  message.  During  the  day  I  would 
visit  the  homes  and  sell  all  the  Bibles  and  books  I 
could.    I  certainly  enjoyed  that  kind  of  work. 

In  my  seminary  days  I  was  taught  that  the  best  way 
to  evangelize  people  was  to  visit  certain  places,  preach 
for  a  few  days  or  a  week,  visit  during  the  day  and  then 
go  to  another  city.  There  is  nothing  like  experience 
and  keeping  your  eyes  open.  I  found  the  following  to 
be  the  case :  After  preaching  for  a  few  days  in  a  place 
with  good  results  apparently,  selling  books  and  having 
a  good  many  people  stand  up  and  manifest  a  desire  to 
follow  the  Lord  Jesus  and  his  teaching,  we  would  find 
on  our  return  trip,  that  most  of  these  we  left  interested 


32  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

would  refuse  to  receive  us.     The  reason  for  it  was  ap- 
parent. 

After  we  left  the  city  the  priest  would  go  from  home 
to  home  and  take  the  books  and  burn  or  destroy  them 
and  would  then  fill  the  hearts  and  minds  of  those  people 
with  intense  prejudice  against  us. 

This  experimental  knowledge  was  a  great  blessing  to 
me,  for  it  helped  me  wonderfully  in  my  work  for  the 
future.  I  realized  then  that  the  Apostolic  plan  of  evan- 
gelizing a  place  was  to  stay  in  the  place  until  a  church 
was  organized.  That  is  the  only  way  to  do  the  Master 's 
work  effectively.  The  sufferings  the  native  converts 
have  to  undergo  is  almost  impossible  to  describe.  Espe- 
cially is  this  the  case  in  the  smaller  villages  where  the 
priest  is  feared  and  where  everybody  knows  everybody 
else.  For  a  man  or  a  woman  to  face  the  opposition 
of  his  own  people  or  of  the  priest  and  of  the  leading 
men  of  the  place  necessitates  great  courage.  It  is  only 
the  power  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  that  enables  a  person 
to  do  this.  Even  then,  the  missionary  has  to  stand  by 
the  convert  and  help  him  to  overcome  those  trying  days 
until  the  young  convert  is  able  to  stand  alone. 

Using  the  P^nnted  Page, — One  other  way  of  evangel- 
izing that  I  tried  during  those  early  days  was  through 
the  printed  page.  With  the  help  of  Senor  Fernandes 
Braga  I  published  a  little  monthly  paper  on  the  style 
of  ''The  Christian,"  of  London.  The  title  of  that  paper 
was  *'0  Biblia"  (The  Bible-Man),  because  the  believers 
in  Rio  de  Janerio  were  known  by  that  name  on  account 
of  always  carrying  a  copy  of  the  Bible  with  them.  Up 
to  the  present  time  the  believers  in  Rio  and  neighbor- 
hood are  known  by  that  name.  In  other  States  they 
are  known  as  Protestants  or  Baptists.    The  value  of  that 


GETTING  MY  BEAEINGS  33 

paper  as  an  evangelizing  agency  was  proved  by  the 
fact  that  nearly  all  the  believers  received  and  supported 
it  and  up  until  today  the  paper  is  read,  though  now  it 
has  the  title  of  ''0  Christao"   (The  Christian). 

Visiting  Pernamhuco. — ^Unable  to  accomplish  and 
carry  out  my  plans  of  work  in  Kio  de  Janeiro  on  ac- 
count of  the  opposition  from  the  native  pastor,  I  gladly 
welcomed  an  invitation  from  Mr.  Fanstone,  a  Canadian 
Baptist,  who  was  doing  excellent  mission  work  in  the 
great  city  of  Pernambuco,  to  substitute  for  him  while 
he  was  on  his  furlough  to  England.  I  left  Kio  for 
Pernambuco  in  the  beginning  of  1891  and  took  charge 
of  Mr.  Fanstone 's  work  as  substitute  pastor.  The  church 
in  Pernambuco  had  about  one  hundred  godly  and  con- 
secrated members  with  whom  I  had  a  blessed  time. 
During  the  eight  months  I  spent  with  them  I  had  some 
of  the  most  glorious  experiences  of  my  life.  I  will 
mention  a  few  of  them. 

Utilizing  Market  Day  in  Caho. — For  my  support  I 
was,  as  usual,  selling  books.  Putting  into  use  my  Jewish 
instinct  I  made  quite  a  success  at  it,  selling  many  Bibles 
and  much  other  literature  and  making  enough  for  my- 
self and  many  of  the  poor  of  the  church. 

In  the  neighboring  cities  and  villages  Saturday  was 
weekly  market  day.  All  I  had  to  do  was  to  buy  a 
license,  costing  about  500  reis  (10  cents),  and  then  I 
had  permission  to  sell  my  Bibles  and  literature  during 
the  entire  day. 

About  forty  miles  from  the  city  Pernambuco  was  a 
place  called  Cabo.  It  was  a  prosperous  little  village  to 
which  a  great  many  farmers  would  come  from  all  over 
the  neighborhood  to  sell  their  goods.  .  I  sold  Bibles  and 
books  there  for  four  Saturdays  in  succession  and  every 


34  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

time  I  went  I  would  sell  every  book  I  had  taken  with 
me. 

On  the  fifth  Saturday,  however,  when  I  reached  the 
place  I  saw  that  my  steps  were  being  closely  watched. 
As  soon  as  I  got  my  stand  on  the  market  place  a  great 
crowd  of  buyers  gathered  around  me.  Looking  up  I 
saw  that  the  priest  was  coming  with  a  crowd  of  his 
faithful  flock  and  every  one  was  carrying  a  club.  It  so 
happened  that  the  priest  was  the  political  boss  of  the 
town.  An  illegitimate  son  of  a  rich  sugar  farmer,  with 
a  brother,  or  rather  half  brother,  in  a  prominent  politi- 
cal position,  he  had  everything  in  his  favor,  including 
judge,  justice  and  all.  I  realized  soon  that  any  stand 
I  took  would  be  useless  and  to  avoid  disagreeable 
handling  by  a  hundred  or  more  fanatical  and  infuri- 
ated men,  incited  by  an  all-powerful  mulatto  priest,  I 
decided  to  leave  the  field  to  him.  Gathering  up  the 
books  that  the  would-be  buyers  were  then  handling  I 
mingled  in  among  the  crowd  of  people,  passed  on  to 
the  other  side  of  my  persecutors  and  took  to  the  sugar 
cane  fields. 

I  walked  for  over  three  hours  and  finally  reached  the 
nearest  railroad  station,  where  I  took  a  train  back  to 
Pernambuco,  which  I  was  glad  to  reach  with  my  skin 
unscathed.  I  may  state,  however,,  that  my  time  was  not 
lost,  as  I  sold  Bibles  all  along  the  road,  and  arrived 
home  with  my  satchel  empty,  as  usual. 

I  very  seldom  ran  away  from  a  persecuting  crowd, 
but  there  is  no  valour  in  resisting  a  mad  crowd  of  over 
one  hundred  fanatics  led  by  a  good-for-nothing  priest. 
However,  the  precious  seed  sown  was  not  lost  for  it 
brought  forth  in  its  own  time  abundant  fruits,  leading 
many  to  Christ.    Today  we  have  a  splendidly  organized 


GETTING  MY  BEARINGS  35 

Baptist  church  in  that  city  that  is  doing  excellent  work 
for  the  Master. 

In  Prison  for  the  First  Time. — Another  interesting 
experience  I  had  at  that  time  in  Pernambuco  was  at  an 
open-air  service.  We  used  to  hold  these  meetings  every 
Sunday  afternoon.  A  good  many  souls  were  converted 
through  these  efforts. 

One  of  my  best  helpers  was  a  self-supporting 
Methodist  missionary,  the  Rev.  George  B.  Nind,  a  very 
excellent  man  of  God.  He  supported  himself  by  teach- 
ing music  in  some  of  the  best  schools  and  coUeges. 
Every  Sunday  afternoon  he  would  come  to  our  open-air 
service  dressed  in  his  tall  hat  and  Prince  Albert  coat, 
and  lead  the  singing  of  our  hymns.  One  Sunday  a 
group  of  drunken  men  came  to  the  open-air  service  and 
began  provoking  this  good  Methodist  brother  by  strik- 
ing his  tall  hat  with  a  switch.  He  suffered  this  as  long 
as  he  possibly  could  resist.  Presently  he  lost  his  pa- 
tience and  fell  upon  the  man  and  tried  to  drag  him  to 
the  police  station. 

The  companions  of  this  wretch,  however,  came  to  his 
rescue  and  a  fight  ensued  which  ended  in  my  good 
brother  instead  of  the  ruffian  being  lead  to  the  police 
station.  I  protested  and  dismissing  the  meeting  went  up 
to  the  two  policemen  that  were  leading  my  Methodist 
brother  and  demanded  his  release;  but  they  would  not 
pay  any  attention  to  what  I  had  to  say.  Without  great 
difficulty  I  wrenched  the  brother  out  of  their  hands. 

Then,  of  course,  they  laid  hands  on  me  also  and  took 
me  to  the  police  station,  which  was  really  what  I  wanted. 
Our  imprisonment  caused  a  great  commotion  at  police 
headquarters  and  the  Lieutenant-Governor  himself  came 
to  make  apologies  and  to  give  us  back  our  freedom. 


36  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

While  we  were  in  custody  the  church  was  praying  and 
when  we  were  freed  we  found  the  hall  crowded.  The 
Lord  gave  us  that  night  many  souls.  It  certainly  was 
a  great  reward  for  the  little  we  suffered. 

Anxious  to  Bead  the  Word  of  God. — Just  another 
illustration  about  the  power  of  God  and  the  heart- 
hunger  of  the  Brazilian  converts.  A  poor  mail  carrier 
was  converted.  During  his  life  as  a  slave,  his  legs  had 
been  hurt  and  he  walked  knock-kneed.  To  deliver  the 
mail  he  walked  a  distance  of  about  seventy-five  miles. 
Soon  after  his  conversion  he  asked  me  to  teach  him  to 
read.    He  was  about  fifty  years  old. 

''Why  do  you  want  to  learn  to  read?"  I  asked  him. 
He  replied,  ' '  First,  because  I  want  to  read  with  my  own 
eyes  the  letter  of  my  Father  in  heaven;  then  also,  as 
I  walk  along  the  road  delivering  mail  from  farm  to 
farm,  I  should  like  to  be  able  to  deliver  my  Father's 
letter  to  all  that  do  not  know  him  yet. ' ' 

I  bought  him  a  copy  of  an  A  B  C  book  and  taught 
him  the  letters.  When  he  returned  from  his  first  trip, 
a  fortnight  afterwards,  he  knew  the  whole  book. 

I  then  gave  him  a  copy  of  a  New  Testament,  printed 
in  large  black  type,  and  taught  him  how  to  read  and 
use  it.  He  took  it  with  him  and  on  his  return  from 
the  next  trip  he  told  me  of  the  remarkable  things  he 
was  able  to  do.  As  soon  as  he  reached  a  farm,  especially 
where  he  had  to  stay  all  night,  after  delivering  the 
mail,  he  would  sit  down  in  some  corner  of  the  kitchen 
and  take  out  his  Testament  and  stammeringly  start 
reading  a  verse  or  so.  Soon  everybody  with  eyes  and 
ears  open  would  come  and  listen  and  give  their  com- 
ments. Interesting  talks  would  start  lasting  through  a 
great  part  of  the  night. 


GETTING  MY  BEAEINGS  37 

The  seed  sown  by  that  good  man  has  brought  abun- 
dant results.  Many  souls  were  brought  into  the  king- 
dom of  God  through  the  testimony  and  labors  of  this 
good  man  of  God,  who  is  now  enjoying  his  reward. 

Herculano:  A  Miracle  of  Grace. — ''Lord,  have  com- 
passion on  a  poor  sinner!"  was  the  continual  wail  and 
cry  of  a  big  giant  of  a  Brazilian,  as  he  lay  rolling  on 
the  floor  of  his  adobe  cabin,  in  an  agony  of  tears,  touched 
by  the  Spirit  of  God,  realizing,  for  the  first  time  in  his 
life,  the  awful,  sinful  state  of  his  soul  in  the  presence 
of  God. 

The  day  before  he  had  climbed  the  stairs  leading  to 
our  preaching  hall  in  Pernambuco.  I  was  preaching 
about  the  "Blood  of  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God,  cleansing 
from  all  sin. ' '  Herculano  had  listened  with  eyes  riveted 
on  me.  One  could  easily  perceive  that  never  before  had 
such  teaching  reached  his  ears  nor  his  hungry  heart. 

The  preaching  over,  I  went  to  where  the  newcomer 
stood,  and,  as  was  my  custom,  inquired  as  to  his  ap- 
preciation of  what  he  had  heard.  He  expressed  himself 
highly  satisfied,  and  when  asked  if  he  would  like  a  visit 
to  his  home,  where  these  truths  could  be  gone  over  with 
more  care  and  calmness,  he  readily  assented  and  a 
meeting  was  arranged  for  next  day. 

Little  did  I  realize,  being  new  in  the  field,  the  danger 
which  I  would  encounter.  I  was  soon  informed  that 
the  place  where  this  Brazilian  was  living  was  one  of 
the  most  dangerous  in  Pernambuco — a  veritable  den  of 
thieves  and  murderers — which  even  the  police  feared  to 
enter  alone,  and  strangers  that  had  ventured  there  were 
never  heard  from  again.  Imagine  my  feelings  when 
told  about  these  things ;  but  as  I  had  given  my  word  to 
meet  the  man  I  resolved,  after  prayer  and  a  renewed 


38  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

consecration  of  my  life  to  the  Master,  to  go  and  meet  him 
even  at  the  risk  of  my  life. 

At  the  appointed  place  and  hour  I  was  by  the  side 
of  this  great  Hercules  of  a  Brazilian,  walking  from  the 
street  car  across  a  small  rickety  old  bridge  made  of  a 
few  planks,  into  that  dangerous  district.  People  who 
saw  me  pass  watched  with  curiosity,  and  some  with 
pity,  imagining  the  speedy  end. 

When  we  reached  the  small  adobe  hut,  the  home  of 
Herculano,  everybody  inside  seemed  to  disappear,  his 
wife,  his  children,  the  dog  and  the  cats — all  seemed  to 
fear  his  presence  and  fly  for  their  lives. 

Nothing  had  been  said  as  yet  concerning  religion, 
and  as  I  was  invited  to  enter  the  house  and  to  be  seated 
upon  an  old  kerosene  box,  I  could  not  help  but  notice 
the  blood-shot  eyes  and  murderous  features  of  him 
whose  home  I  had  entered  for  the  first  time. 

Realizing  my  position  and  that  perhaps  this  was  my 
last  opportunity  to  speak  of  Christ  and  his  power  to 
save  I  made  up  my  mind  to  speak  plainly  and  clearly 
and,  after  sitting  down  on  that  dirty,  old,  rickety  box, 
I  expressed  myself  as  follows: 

**My  dear  friend,  I  really  do  not  know  who  you  are 
and  what  you  intend  doing  with  me.  After  arranging 
for  our  meeting  here  I  was  informed  of  the  danger  of 
comi"^'^  to  this  place,  of  the  kind  of  people  that  live 
here  and  of  what  has  happened  to  many  a  stranger 
who  ventured  into  this  district.  But  as  I  noticed  last 
night  your  hunger  for  something  better  and  your  desire 
to  learn  more  about  Jesus  and  his  power  to  save,  I 
resolved  to  keep  my  promise  and  come  and  tell  you 
these  facts  even  at  the  risk  of  my  life.  Personally,  I 
may  tell  you,  that  I  am  not  afraid  to  die,  because  my 


GETTING  MY  BEARINGS  39 

soul  is  safe  and  sure  in  the  keeping  of  Jesus,  my  Savior 
and  Lord.  I  am  more  concerned  about  your  soul  than 
about  my  own  life." 

The  countenance  of  that  man  can  be  more  easily 
imagined  than  described.  He  turned  pale  and  his  big 
body  trembled  to  such  an  extent  that  I  feared  that  some- 
thing was  going  to  happen  to  him.  He  afterwards  con- 
fessed to  me  that  he  was  struggling  with  himself  not  to 
fall  on  me  and  strangle  me — but  that  something,  some 
invisible  power,  withheld  him  and  would  not  let  him 
move. 

"Tell  me  more  about  Jesus  and  how  he  saves,"  he 
then  exclaimed.  ''What  you  spoke  about  last  night  in 
that  hall  disturbed  my  sleep.  I  have  been  thinking  and 
wondering  if  what  jou  affirmed  last  night  was  really 
the  truth.     I  never  heard  anything  like  it." 

In  simple,  plain  language  I  explained  to  him  the 
gospel  of  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ:  How  God 
gave  his  only  begotten  Son  to  die  in  our  stead  on  the 
cruel  cross,  and  how  we  can  obtain  a  full  pardon  if 
we  repent  and  forsake  sin,  and  accept  this  blessed  offer. 

The  words  did  not  seem  to  reach  the  heart  and  mind 
of  the  poor  man,  and  I  was  almost  despairing  of  ever 
being  able  to  reach  him  when  I  bethought  myself  of 
calling  to  my  aid  the  Spirit  of  God,  and,  turning  to  the 
poor  fellow  who  was  sitting  and  staring  in  a  most  help- 
less condition  of  despair,  I  said  to  him : 

'*My  dear  friend,  I  can  perceive  that  my  words  do 
not  reach  your  understanding;  let  us  ask  God  to  make 
these  things  plain  to  you.  Now  if  you  really  desire  to 
know  these  blessed  truths,  let  us  kneel  down  and  ask 
God,  who  is  here  with  us  ready  to  bless  you — let  us  ask 
him  to  pity  and  save  you." 


40  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

I  tlien  slipped  to  my  knees  and  the  big  giant  who, 
very  likely,  had  never  previously  bent  his  knees  before 
his  Maker,  knelt  down  beside  me.  Then,  with  a 
trembling  voice,  and  eyes  overflowing  with  tears,  I  be- 
gan pleading  with  God  on  behalf  of  this  poor  soul. 

The  answer  was  not  delayed! 

Soon  I  heard  a  body  fall  prostrate  to  the  floor  and  a 
choked  voice,  which  seemed  to  come  from  the  bottom  of 
a  heart  touched  by  sorrow  and  despair,  pleading  for 
mercy  and  forgiveness. 

"0,  God!  save  a  poor  degraded,  miserable  lost  sin- 
ner ! ' '  was  the  piteous,  continual,  cry  of  this  poor  man 
as  he  was  rolling  in  agony  on  the  floor. 

With  tears  of  repentance,  of  shame  and  sorrow,  he 
told  of  his  terrible  and  miserable  life:  That  he  was 
the  hired  assassin  of  one  of  the  most  influential  poli- 
ticians of  the  State ;  that  only  a  few  days  before  he  had 
returned  from  the  convict  island  to  which  he  had  been 
sent,  sentenced  to  thirty  years'  imprisonment,  but  had 
been  pardoned  after  seventeen  years;  and  that  the  day 
after  his  arrival  on  shore  he  had  received  orders  to  do 
away  with  a  person  and  had  done  it. 

Herculano,  by  the  power  of  God,  became  a  new  man 
and  a  powerful  instrument  in  the  Master's  cause.  He 
was  afterwards  baptized  by  Dr.  W.  E.  Entzminger. 
His  home  became  a  center  of  spiritual  influences  which 
slowly  transformed  the  whole  district,  not  only  into  a 
place  of  safety,  but  also  prosperity.  Every  time  I  went 
to  preach  in  that  district,  Herculano  would  stand  by  me 
and  none  dared  to  throw  a  stone  at  me  for  fear  of  the 
great,  big  giant  whose  fame  was  known  to  all  and  who, 
though  converted,  was  still  feared  by  everybody. 

In  all  his   difficulties,   trials   and  temptations — and 


GETTING  MY  BEAEINGS  41 

these,  after  Ms  conversion,  seemed  to  multiply — espe- 
cially with  his  own  family,  who  would  insult  and  call 
him  a  coward  because  he  had  given  up  making  a  living 
by  murder — in  all  these  trials  he  would  come  to  me  and 
open  his  heart  and  then  both  of  us  would  kneel  down 
and  put  it  ail  into  the  hands  of  God,  feeling  secure  in 
his  power. 

One  day,  very  early  in  the  morning,  while  I  was  in 
my  study,  Herculano  came  in  all  upset,  with  his  eyes 
full  of  blood  and  his  features  speaking  plainly  of 
murder. 

''What  is  the  matter,  Herculano?  What  is  troubling 
you  nowT' 

'*0h,  Pastor,  I  want  to  kill  a  man.  My  heart  just 
tells  me  to  go  and  kill  him,'*  and  tears  came  rolling 
down  his  cheeks. 

'  *  But  why  ?    What  has  happened,  Herculano  ? ' ' 

And  then  he  told  a  pitiful  tale  of  how  he  had  given 
hospitality  to  a  former  companion  of  his  who  had  just 
been  freed  from  the  prison  island  and  while  he  was 
away,  very  early,  and  his  wife  had  gone  to  the  market, 
this  criminal  had  outraged  his  little  daughter,  a  child  of 
only  eight  years  old. 

**  Pastor,  my  heart  tells  me  to  go  and  kill  that  man. 
.     .     .     I  know  where  I  can  lay  my  hands  on  him." 

**Let  us  ask  the  Lord  about  it,  Herculano,"  I  said. 
**Let  us  see  what  the  Lord  will  tell  you  to  do."  With 
a  troubled  heart  and  a  bleeding  soul  in  pity  and  sym- 
pathy for  the  poor  father,  I  laid  the  whole  affair  before 
the  Lord,  pleading  for  wisdom  and  comfort  and  peace 
on  behalf  of  this  poor  brother. 

The  answer  came!  We  arose  from  our  knees  com- 
forted and  strengthened.    We  both  went  to  the  chief  of 


42  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

police  who  took  the  matter  in  hand  and  brought  the 
criminal  to  justice. 

Herculano  continued  firm  and  faithful  to  the  end.  A 
few  days  before  his  death  he  came  again  and  told  me 
that  he  had  come  to  say  ''adeus"  for  good. 

*'Why,  what  is  the  matter  now?" 

''Well,  you  see,  pastor,  my  wife  will  not  look  after 
me  and  I  am  going  to  the  hospital  to  be  treated  and 
am  sure  that  I  will  not  come  back  alive. ' ' 

**Do  not  say  that,"  I  exclaimed,  ''you  are  strong  and 
quite  able  to  survive  an  operation  and  we  expect  a  great 
deal  from  you  yet.  Do  not  be  so  discouraged.  Go  and 
get  well,  and  let  us  know  how  you  are  doing." 

Not  a  word  came  from  him  and  when  a  week  after- 
wards I  made  inquiries  I  was  informed  that  Herculano 
had  died  a  few  days  after  his  entrance  and  that  up  to 
the  last  moment  he  had  spoken  of  Christ  and  his  love  and 
his  power  to  save.  To  the  priest,  who  wanted  him  to 
confess,  he  replied:  "J  have  already  confessed  myself 
to  Christ." 

What  a  Stereopticon  Slide  Did. — It  is  really  remark- 
able how  the  Lord  uses  little  things,  unthought  of  inci- 
dents, to  call  people  to  his  truth  as  weU  as  to  greater 
service.  While  I  was  in  England  I  would  not  listen 
to  any  denominational  discussion.  Even  in  the  semi- 
nary, where  all  kinds  of  denominational  differences 
were  tabooed,  but  where  I  was  approached  several  times 
on  the  question  of  baptism,  I  refused  to  consider  it, 
thinking  that  such  questions  were  not  necessary  to  the 
development  of  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth.  I  always 
thought  such  questions  were  detrimental  to  its  growth 
and  development. 

However,  I  was  not  long  on  the  field,  and  in  active 


GETTING  MY  BEAKINGS  43 

service,  until  I  discovered  that  such  questions  were  vital 
to  the  stability  and  continual  growth  of  the  work  and 
that  definite  positions  had  to  be  taken  by  leaders  and 
workers  if  they  desired  to  be  true  guides  to  the  be- 
lievers and  make  them  firm  in  the  faith  once  given  to 
the  saints. 

One  of  the  questions  that  forced  itself  upon  my  atten- 
tion very  early  in  my  work  was  that  of  baptism.  The 
Baptists  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  were  very  active  in  propa- 
gating their  distinctive  principles  and  consequently 
many  of  the  converts  of  other  evangelical  churches  were 
drawn  into  the  Baptist  fold.  No  pastor  likes  to  see  his 
people  disturbed  and  much  less  led  away  by  divers  doc- 
trines. The  Apostle  teaches  us  to  look  out  for  such 
and  admonish  them.  Some  of  the  deacons  of  the  church 
with  which  I  was  then  working,  called  my  attention  to 
these  things  and  urged  me  to  attack  the  enemy  with 
all  my  might.  I  was  editing  a  monthly  paper  and  I 
determined  to  study  the  question  thoroughly  and  pub- 
lish an  article  or  tract  that  would  answer  all  the  argu- 
ments of  those  Baptists.  As  they  appealed  to  the  Scrip- 
tures for  the  justification  of  their  belief  and  conduct  I 
began  studying  the  Scriptures  preparatory  to  answer- 
ing these  arguments. 

One  incident  incited  me  to  do  that  immediately  and 
that  was  the  loan  of  a  set  of  slides  by  the  Rev.  W.  B. 
Bagby,  the  resident  Baptist  Missionary  in  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  Among  those  slides  was  one  representing  the 
Baptism  of  Jesus  by  John  in  the  river  Jordan.  As  I 
threw  the  slides  on  the  screen  I  purposely  made  the 
following  remark : 

**You  have  no  doubt  heard  of  spoken  lies,  and  also 
of  written  lies,  but  never  perhaps  of  painted  lies;  but 


44  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

if  you  will  look  upon  the  picture  before  you,  you  will 
no  doubt  see  one." 

This  statement  was  reported  to  Dr.  Bagby  and  he 
immediately  wrote  me  a  scathing  letter  which  made  me 
angry  and  more  than  ever  determined  to  study  the 
question  of  baptism  and  proclaim  the  errors  of  the 
Baptists  and  their  evil  doings  to  the  whole  world. 

Discussions  and  Discoveries. — To  say  a  thing  is  easy, 
to  do  it  is  quite  another,  especially  when  you  appeal  to 
the  Bible  on  a  question  where  you  discover  that  you  are 
wrong.  The  reason  why  so  many  do  not  see  the  right 
side  of  the  baptismal  question  is  no  doubt  because  they 
do  not  study  it  from  the  standpoint  of  the  Bible.  I 
had  no  other  book  to  examine.  Sometimes  I  did  wish 
that  I  had  studied  the  question  in  England  and  on  the 
other  hand  I  was  glad  that  I  had  not  done  so  as  thijB 
gave  me  an  opportunity  to  study  the  question  at  first 
hand.  I  took  it  up  very  seriously.  I  knew  that  the 
Baptists  based  their  arguments  on  the  Bible  and  the 
Bible  was  the  best  book  to  decide  this  question  and  so 
to  the  Bible  I  appealed. 

It  was  not  long  until  I  discovered  that  the  word 
"baptism"  meant  immersion  in  the  Old  Testament,  as 
in  the  case  of  Naaman  who  was  told  to  dip  himself  in 
the  river  Jordan  (2  Kings  5:14).  I  found  the  same 
word  used  by  the  great  Hebrew-Greek  scholar,  Dr. 
David  C.  Ginsburg,  in  his  translation  of  the  Greek 
Testament  into  the  Hebrew  tongue.  I  also  remembered 
that  in  the  synagogue  where  my  father  often  taught 
and  preached  existed  a  baptistry  in  which  I  myself  and 
many  others  had  been  immersed  many  a  time.  That 
question  was  soon  settled. 

The  question  that  troubled  me  most  was  the  foUow- 


GETTING  MY  BEAKINGS  45 

ing:  Was  immersion  the  only  form  of  baptism?  If  it 
was  the  only  form  mentioned  in  the  Bible  and  practiced 
by  the  Lord  and  his  disciples,  then  the  position  of  the 
Baptists  on  restricted  communion,  the  great  bone  of 
contention  against  the  Baptists,  was  perfectly  justified. 
This  question  of  various  forms  of  baptism  troubled  me 
for  a  while.  I  had  a  good  many  discussions  with  sev- 
eral of  the  brother  missionaries,  notably  with  the  Rev. 
George  W.  Nind,  the  Methodist  missionary  stationed 
in  Pernambuco,  and  with  Dr.  Z.  C.  Taylor,  the  Baptist 
missionary  stationed  in  Bahia,  who  while  visiting  the 
Pernambuco  field,  I  invited  to  my  rooms.  I  verily  be- 
lieve that  I  did  not  let  him  have  much  rest,  asking  him 
all  sorts  of  questions  until,  to  obtain  some  relief,  he 
hastened  his  return  to  Bahia. 

The  result  of  these  studies  soon  became  manifest.  I 
recognized  that  the  Baptists  were  right  in  their  conten- 
tion and  that  I  was  wrong.  I  also  realized  that  the  con- 
verts I  had  sprinkled  in  my  ignorance  had  to  be  taught 
the  right  way.  As  supply  pastor  in  the  Pernambuco 
Evangelical  Church  I  felt  that  I  could  not  conscien- 
tiously continue.  Having  two  candidates  to  sprinkle 
my  conscience  refused  to  allow  me  to  practice  a  thing 
which  I  began  to  consider  as  blasphemous.  I  was  in 
a  very  trying  position,  I  was  without  any  society 
to  look  after  my  support  and  without  other  friends 
but  those  that  sent  me  out  from  England.  To  take 
a  position  in  favor  of  the  Baptists  I  knew  would 
mean  to  sever  all  friendly  relations  with  my  good 
friends  in  England.  Just  at  that  time  friends  were 
organizing  an  interdenominational  missionary  society 
in  England  and  Pernambuco  was  to  be  the  first  place 
to  be  taken  under  the  wings   of   that  Society.     But 


46  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

I  considered  the  following:  If  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  I 
had  already  left  all  and  yet  nothing  had  failed  me,  I 
could  be  certain  that  by  following  the  truth  as  it  was 
taught  and  practiced  by  Jesus  his  favor  would  con- 
tinue as  before.  Blessed  be  his  name,  he  has  never 
failed  me,  in  spite  of  great  and  bitter  opposition. 

Just  in  passing  let  me  say  this:  A  great  many  have 
thought  that  I  became  a  Baptist  on  account  of  marry- 
ing Miss  Emma  Morton,  then  missionary  of  the  South- 
ern Baptist  Convention.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  my  bap- 
tism took  place  in  November,  1891,  and  I  married  Miss 
Emma  Morton  in  1893.  When  I  decided  the  baptism 
question  I  was  engaged  to  be  married  to  a  young  lady 
I  had  left  in  London,  England,  who  afterwards  became 
my  first  wife. 

Decision  and  Baptism. — Having  decided  to  throw  in 
my  lot  with  the  Baptists  I  gave  notice  to  the  church 
in  Pernambuco  informing  the  brethren  as  to  the  reasons 
that  led  me  to  take  that  step.  I  had  several  candidates 
to  baptize  the  following  Sunday,  and  I  asked  the 
Rev.  W.  C.  Porter,  a  Presbyterian  missionary,  to  per- 
form the  ceremony  for  me.  I  told  the  church  that  I  was 
going  to  Bahia  to  be  baptized  and  that  I  would  not 
return  to  Pernambuco  until  the  pastor  of  the  church 
was  back  from  his  furlough.  I  would  then  visit  every 
candidate  I  had  sprinkled  and  teach  him  the  right 
way  of  being  baptized. 

When  I  arrived  in  Bahia  I  found  that  Dr.  Taylor 
was  expecting  me.  Though  I  had  not  informed  him  of 
my  decision  he  knew,  and  had  told  the  brethren  that 
they  should  expect  me.  He  had  been  praying  about 
me  and  knew  that  I  would  decide  aright.     In  Bahia  I 


GETTING  MY  BEARINGS  47 

also  met  the  newly  arrived  couple  of  missionaries,  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Entzrainger. 

Soon  after  my  arrival  I  informed  the  missionaries 
of  my  conversion  to  the  Baptist  position  and  before  the 
church  made  my  public  confession  of  the  faith.  I  was 
baptized  by  dear  Dr.  Taylor  before  a  great  crowd  of 
interested  brethren  and  friends.  The  following  Sunday 
Drs.  Taylor  and  Entzminger  and  two  native  pastors 
formed  a  council  and  I  was  ordained  into  the  regular 
Baptist  ministry.  It  was  the  most  memorable  day  of 
my  life.  There  were  not  many  present  and  the  con- 
gregation was  not  the  most  select,  but  the  presence  and 
power  of  the  Spirit  of  God  was  there.  "With  a  heart  full 
of  joy  I  consecrated  myself  anew  to  the  task  of  saving 
souls  for  my  Master  and  Lord  in  the  great  neglected 
continent. 

New  Persecutions,  Trials  and  Victory. — One  of  the 
first  results  of  my  decision  in  favor  of  the  Baptists  was 
the  enmity  of  those  who  were  helping  me  financially  and 
especially  of  those  who  were  organizing  the  new  inter- 
denominational missionary  society  for  Brazil.  The  per- 
son, however,  who  seemed  to  be  most  upset  over  the 
step  I  had  taken  was  the  good  sister  who  paid  my 
passage  and  outfit  to  Brazil.  But  since  I  had  fulfilled 
my  contract,  having  worked  as  a  self-supporting  mis- 
sionary, she  could  do  nothing  more  than  criticise  my 
step. 

I  was  engaged  to  a  sweet  English  young  lady,  a  pro- 
fessional nurse,  who  was  completing  her  training.  I 
had  saved  sufiicient  money  to  send  her  money  for  her 
passage  to  Brazil,  and  we  were  to  be  united  in  marriage. 
She  had  written  to  me  to  expect  her  on  a  certain  boat, 
and  you  can  imagine   my  excitement  when  the   boat 


48  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

finally  appeared.  I  dressed  myself  in  the  best  I  had  and 
having  secured  an  excellent  row  boat,  went  to  meet  the 
large  steamer  to  welcome  my  beloved.  Imagine  my  dis- 
appointment when  I  did  not  find  her  on  board.  In  my 
mail  I  found  a  letter  telling  me  that  she  had  heard  so 
many  contradictory  things  about  the  step  I  had  taken 
and  the  denomination  I  had  joined  that  she  had  hesi- 
tated to  come  until  I  could  explain  it  all  satisfactorily 
to  her. 

My  answer  was  brief.  I  knew  more  or  less  from 
whence  the  trouble  had  come  and  I  wrote  telling  her 
that  if  she  had  no  faith  in  me,  but  believed  in  what 
others  had  told  her  about  me  it  would  be  best  for  her 
not  to  come.  I  also  insisted  that  if  she  did  not  come 
by  the  next  vessel  I  would  take  it  as  an  answer  that 
our  engagement  had  been  dissolved. 

She  came,  and  in  due  time  we  were  married,  and  it 
was  not  long  after  that  I  had  the  privilege  of  baptizing 
her  into  the  same  faith  and  doctrine.  Though  her  life 
in  Brazil  was  short,  very,  very  short,  as  she  only  lived 
five  months  after  reaching  Brazil,  dying  of  the  dreadful 
scourge  that  then  prevailed  in  Bahia,  yellow  fever,  her 
sweet  spirit,  gentle  disposition  and  wonderful  mission- 
ary enthusiasm  helped  me  marvelously  in  the  beginning 
of  my  ministry  in  Bahia  among  the  Baptists. 

Baptizing  Those  I  Had  Sprinkled. — It  was  about 
Easter  of  1892  that  I  returned  to  Pernambuco  to  hold 
a  series  of  meetings  with  the  local  Baptist  church.  The 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  had  not  returned, 
but  another  man  was  in  charge.  I  was  then  able  to 
fulfill  my  promise  to  visit  all  those  that  I  had  inad- 
vertently sprinkled,  thinking  that  it  was  what  Christ 
had  taught.    The  Lord  was  very  good  to  me  in  that  he 


GETTING  MY  BEAEINGS  49 

permitted  me  to  baptize  nearly  all  those  that  had  ac- 
cepted Christ  through  my  instrumentality.  Only  one 
I  did  not  baptize,  because  he  had  moved  away  from 
Pernambuco  and  I  have  not  been  able  to  meet  him, 
though  I  hope  to  do  so  yet.  This  brought  me  the  epi- 
thet of  ''proselyter,''  though  I  do  not  think  I  de- 
served it.  I  have  always  respected  other  people's  con- 
victions and  am  ready  to  condemn  those  that  persecute 
others  for  not  agreeing  with  their  ideas.  But  this  case 
was  different. 

Here  were  about  twenty-five  people  that  I  had  led 
to  Christ,  but  had  misled  on  the  question  of  baptism. 
I  considered  it  my  incontestable  duty  to,  at  least,  ex- 
plain to  them  that  I  had  led  them  into  error  through  ig- 
norance. The  fact  of  their  accepting  the  truth  and  sub- 
mitting to  be  baptized  was  independent  of  the  question 
of  my  discharging  my  duty  in  explaining  my  mistake. 

The  same  thing  was  repeated  in  Nictheroy.  Several 
families  that  I  had  been  instrumental  in  leading  to 
Christ,  as  soon  as  they  heard  that  I  had  joined  the  Bap- 
tists, began  to  study  the  question  of  baptism  in  a  new 
light  and  with  an  open  Bible.  Later  I  had  the  privilege 
of  visiting  that  city  and  it  was  my  great  joy  to  present 
a  good  many  of  them  to  Dr.  W.  B.  Bagby,  who  taking 
advantage  of  the  opportunity,  moved  to  that  city  and 
organized  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Nictheroy. 

The  experience  I  had  in  becoming  a  Baptist  always 
gives  me  an  opportunity  to  give  a  word  of  testimony 
concerning  why  I  became  a  Baptist  and  perhaps  for  that 
very  same  reason  a  good  many  have  left  the  Pedo- 
Baptist  ranks  and  become  staunch  Baptists.  Still  that 
does  not  mean  that  I  am  a  ' '  proselyter "  unless  giving 
your  testimony  to  the  truth  is  proselyting. 


CHAPTEK  III 

IN  BAHIA 

Baptists  in  Bahia  in  1892. — Dr.  Z.  C.  Taylor  had, 
soon  after  my  baptism  and  ordination,  gone  to  the 
United  States  not  only  for  a  needed  rest  and  change 
of  climate  but  also  to  have  a  very  delicate  operation 
performed  on  his  wife,  one  of  the  most  cultured  and 
consecrated  lady  missionaries  I  ever  met.  She  was  suf- 
fering from  a  malignant  sarcoma  on  one  of  her  limbs 
and  was  unable  to  obtain  adequate  treatment  in  Brazil. 

The  church  in  Bahia  was  then  in  a  very  precarious 
condition.  Dr.  Z.  C.  Taylpr,  one  of  the  most  conse- 
crated and  self-sacrificing  missionaries  Brazil  ever  had, 
held  some  peculiar  views  about  marriage  and  divorce. 
He  believed  that  the  local  church  had  a  right  to  grant 
divorces  to  innocent  parties  and  once  granted  the 
divorce  he  believed  the  church  could  legitimately  cele- 
brate a  new  marriage  ceremony.  The  laws  of  the  coun- 
try, however,  were  against  divorce  and  no  such  marriage 
was  recognized  as  legal. 

Due  to  such  proceedings  the  church  had  gotten  into 
bad  repute,  and  when  Dr.  Taylor  left  for  the  States  I 
found  myself  confronting  a  grave  problem.  Young  and 
inexperienced  in  mission  or  even  church  work,  I  real- 
ized the  terrible  situation  in  which  the  church  found 
itself  and  after  much  prayer  determined  to  drop  out  the 
element  that  was  injuring  the  work.    We  had  to  exclude 

50 


IN  BAHIA  51 

about  a  dozen  members.  To  the  honor  of  the  Brazilian 
believers  be  it  said  that  the  best  element  of  the  church 
stood  by  me  and  realized  the  need  of  such  drastic  meas- 
ures. Most  of  the  members  excluded  also  recognized 
the  justice  of  the  step  taken  and  returned  to  the  church 
humbled  and  changed. 

Dr.  Entzminger,  though  barely  escaping  death  by 
yellow  fever,  was  a  tower  of  strength  to  me  in  those 
days  and  I  was  very  sorry  when  he  decided  to  move  to 
the  Pernambuco  field,  where  he  developed  a  wonderful 
work,  building  up  a  flourishing  enterprise  for  Christ 
and  the  Baptists.  He  and  his  wife  accomplished  great 
things  in  that  field,  one  of  the  most  difficult  in  all 
Brazil. 

Early  History  of  Work  in  Bahia. — The  early  history 
of  the  Baptist  work  in  Bahia  would  make  one  of  the 
most  interesting  chapters  of  modern  missionary  en- 
deavor. It  was  in  this  city  that  the  first  native  Bap- 
tist church  was  organized  in  the  year  1882.  It  was  there 
that  the  first  native  worker  was  won,  baptized  and  af- 
terwards ordained  to  the  ministry,  and  (a  curious  co- 
incidence), his  name  was  John  the  Baptist.  It  was 
there  also  that  the  first  attempts  at  a  Brazilian  Baptist 
Publishing  House  were  made  and  the  first  Baptist  books 
published  in  the  Portuguese  language.  The  first  piece 
of  property  bought  for  the  Baptist  denomination  in 
Brazil  was  purchased  in  this  city,  the  old  Jesuit  prison 
in  which  many  men  of  God  had  suffered  for  conscience, 
sake.  This  place  was  transformed  into  a  great  center  of 
spiritual  light  and  liberty.  In  this  city  also  met  the 
first  Brazilian  Baptists  General  Convention  in  1907,  in 
which  plans  were  laid  out  and  methods  of  work  adopted 
that  are  telling  upon  the  country  mightily  and  trans- 


52  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

forming  the  Baptists  in  Brazil  into  a  great  spiritual 
conquering  host.  In  Baliia  the  first  Brazilian  Home 
Mission  Board  had  its  headquarters,  as  well  as  the  first 
Brazilian  Foreign  Mission  Board.  The  Brazilian  B.  Y. 
P.  U.  work  was  initiated  in  this  city  and  from  it  went 
forth  the  literature  that  organized  the  Baptist  young 
people  of  Brazil  into  a  great  force  for  Christ.  To  the 
Baptists,  therefore,  Bahia  is  a  great  historical  center, 
and  to  describe  the  first  attempts  at  evangelization  is 
impossible  here.  A  better  understanding  will  be  had 
when  there  appears  soon  an  autobiography  of  Dr.  Z.  C. 
Taylor,  the  first  missionary  who  gave  himself  to  the 
building  up  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  in  that  great 
metropolis  and  who  for  twenty-seven  years  labored  and 
toiled  in  that  field  almost  alone. 

I  can  only  mention  a  few  of  the  results  of  the  mar- 
velous seed-sowing  done  by  Dr.  Taylor: 

1.  Fields  Visited  hy  Dr.  Taylor.  The  work  was  in- 
augurated in  1882.  When  I  reached  Bahia  for  the  first 
time  it  was  in  November  of  1891.  In  that  decade 
Brother  Taylor  had  managed  to  visit  and  sow  the  good 
seed  in  almost  every  part  of  that  great  State  of  Bahia. 
Few  realize  what  this  means.  The  State  of  Bahia  is 
larger  than  the  State  of  Texas  with  the  additional  in- 
convenience of,  not  having  good  transportation  facilities. 
In  spite  of  bad  roads,  lack  of  railways,  rivers  full  of 
malaria  and  swamps  full  of  deadly  diseases.  Brother 
Taylor,  in  the  short  space  of  ten  years,  managed  to 
spread  the  good  tidings  of  great  joy  all  over  that  great 
State. 

Not  content  with  the  work  in  Bahia  he  extended  his 
usefulness  into  the  neighboring  State  of  Alagoas.  The 
ex-Priest  Teixeira,  a  charter  member  of  the  first  church 


IN  BAHIA  53 

in  Brazil,  was  a  native  of  this  State.  Dr.  Taylor  sent 
him  on  a  visit  to  that  field  and  soon  followed  him  with 
the  message  of  life  and  light. 

2.  Churches  Organized.  In  1891  I  found  the  fol- 
lowing churches  organized  and  in  fairly  good  working 
conditions : 

(a)  The  first  Baptist  Church  that  was  worshiping 
in  the  old  Jesuit  prison  building  transformed  into  an 
excellent  spiritual  center.  The  membership  was  not 
very  large  but  notwithstanding  the  difficulties  men- 
tioned above,  full  of  zeal  and  anxious  to  spread  the  good 
news  of  salvation. 

(b)  Another  church  existed  in  the  city  of  Valenca, 
a  small  but  very  industrious  little  place  situated  about 
fifty  miles  down  the  coast.  The  membership  was  not 
large  but  composed  of  some  of  the  better  class  of  people. 
They  also  were  spreading  the  good  tidings  all  around. 

(c)  Another  church  existed  in  the  city  of  Maceio, 
capital  of  the  State  of  Alagoas.  The  membership  was 
very  small  and  the  i^ersecutions  the  believers  suffered 
were  severe,  but  this  no  doubt  caused  every  member 
to  become  a  strong  and  stalwart  soldier  for  Christ. 
The  church,  that  still  continues  faithful  is  a  strong 
spiritual  center  for  God. 

3.  Literature  Published.  Dr.  Taylor  believed  in  the 
printed  page  and  consequently  used  it  to  great  advan- 
tage in  laying  the  foundations  for  the  future.  It  is 
impossible  to  give  the  whole  list  of  books  and  tracts  he 
published,  but  I  will  mention  a  few,  especially  those  that 
had,  and  still  have,  a  mighty  influence  upon  the  work 
in  Brazil. 

(a)  One  of  the  first  books  he  published  was  a  trans- 
lation of  Dr.  S.  H.  Ford's  *' Origin  and  History  of  the 


54  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Baptists."  In  the  same  book  he  included  a  transla- 
tion of  the  Philadelphia  Confession  of  Faith  as  well  as 
a  few  Rules  of  Order  as  to  Church  Government.  Next 
to  the  Bible  this  book  has  been  a  mainstay  in  almost  all 
of  the  Brazilian  churches.  The  translation  is  not  one 
of  the  best  and  the  historical  arguments  may  not  be 
up-to-date,  but  the  book  has  been  a  means  of  building 
up  the  young  churches  in  the  Faith  once  delivered  to 
the  saints,  and  has  developed  a  Baptist  brotherhood 
proud  of  its  history  and  jealous  for  its  privileges  and 
opportunities. 

(b)  Amongst  the  other  books  that  have  helped  to 
form  the  Baptist  character  in  Brazil  might  be  men- 
tioned: Dr.  Harvey's  ''The  Church  and  State,"  Ter- 
tuUian's  ''Apologetics,"  Broadus'  "Harmony  of  the 
Gospels,"  etc.,  etc.,  all  translated  and  published  by 
Brother  Taylor  in  his  small  printing  plant. 

(c)  The  greatest  amount  of  literary  work  was  done, 
however,  in  the  publication  of  leaflets  and  small  tracts 
which  Brother  Taylor  used  to  an  almost  unlimited  ex- 
tent. He  had  the  knack  of  issuing  leaflets  and  tracts 
that  would  tell  upon  the  people  and  bring  forth  results. 
One  of  these  was  entitled  "Three  Reasons  Why  I  Left 
the  Church  of  Rome, ' '  written  by  the  ex-Priest  Teixeira. 
That  tract  has  had  a  most  creditable  history,  having 
been  instrumental  in  the  opening  of  blind  eyes  to  many 
a  sincere  Catholic. 

Another  tract  that  caused  a  great  commotion 
amongst  the  Catholic  clergy  was  one  entitled  "A  Photo- 
graph of  the  Virgin  Mary  in  Heaven."  Brother  Taylor 
published  that  tract  first  in  the  daily  press  and  then  is- 
sued it  in  leaflet  form  and  spread  it  all  over  the  coun- 


IN  BAHIA  55 

try.  It  accomplished  wonders  and  is  still  doing  the 
work  for  which  it  was  prepared. 

Two  small  tracts  that  have  helped  to  organize  a 
good  many  churches  in  Brazil  have  the  titles :  ^ '  How  to 
Pray''  and  "The  New  Birth. '*  Both  of  these  subjects 
are  entirely  unknown  to  the  Catholics. 

And  so  I  could  go  on  mentioning  the  good  things 
I  found  when  I  made  my  appearance  among  the  Bap- 
tists in  1891.  What  it  was  when  I  returned  to  that 
field  in  1909  can  more  easily  be  imagined  than  de- 
scribed. The  number  of  churches  had  grown  to  that 
of  about  thirty-five  with  hundreds  of  preaching  places. 
In  the  capital  of  the  State  instead  of  one  little  church 
there  were  four,  all  prospering  and  on  the  good  road  to 
self-support.  Best  of  all,  I  found  established  and  in 
good  working  order  an  educational  institution  that  was 
exercising  a  powerful  influence  upon  the  field  and  the 
workers.  The  good  Lord  was  abundantly  blessing  the 
faithful  and  self-sacrificing  work  done  by  his  servant 
who,  in  that  very  year,  had  to  leave  the  field,  on  account 
of  his  health,  and  to  which  he  never  returned,  being 
swept  into  glory  on  the  occasion  of  the  great  Corpus 
Christi,  Texas,  catastrophe  in  1919. 

A  Public  Debate. — I  had  not  returned  to  Rio  de 
Janeiro  since  becoming  a  Baptist,  so  taking  advantage 
of  a  meeting  of  the  missionaries  at  the  home  of  Dr. 
W.  B.  Bagby,  I  went,  not  only  because  of  my  desire  to 
know  all  the  Baptist  missionaries,  but  also  to  meet  some 
of  my  old  friends  and  converts  in  the  Congregational 
church,  and  tell  them  of  the  change  that  had  taken 
place  in  my  doctrinal  beliefs. 

Several  families  in  Nictheroy  had  become  greatly  in- 
terested in  the  teaching  of  the  Baptists  and  through 


56  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

these  a  public  discussion  had  been  arranged  between 
the  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  and  myself.  I 
consented  to  the  discussion  being  held  in  the  Congre- 
gational church  under  certain  conditions  to  which  both 
parties  subscribed,  but  to  which  I  alone  was  obliged  to 
adhere.  At  the  last  moment  the  Brazilian  pastor 
thought  it  best  to  change  the  program  calling  to  his 
help  other  speakers  hoping,  I  suppose,  that  I  would 
desist  and  thus  give  them  an  easy  victory.  I  stuck  to 
the  opportunity  and  when  the  time  for  the  discussion 
arrived  I  enjoyed  it  immensely.  Mr.  Tucker,  of  the 
American  Bible  Society,  presided  over  the  session  and 
instead  of  my  discussing  with  the  native  pastor  alone 
I  had  to  answer  about  a  half  dozen  of  them.  The  out- 
come of  it  all  was  that  each  party  claimed  victory,  but 
the  families  that  had  arranged  for  the  discussion  soon 
after  joined  the  Baptist  church  and  became  very  zealous 
workers  in  the  kingdom,  some  of  them  continuing  faith- 
ful up  until  today. 

First  Visit  to  Victoria. — While  in  Nictheroy,  the  Bap- 
tist missionaries  thought  it  opportune  to  begin  work  in 
the  neighboring  State  of  E spirit o  Santo,  and  I  was 
asked  to  visit  that  field.  Taking  a  small  coasting  vessel 
I  sailed  for  Victoria,  the  capital  of  that  State,  asking 
the  Lord  to  guide  and  direct  me.  On  board  the  vessel 
I  became  acquainted  with  the  Chief  of  Police  of  that 
place  who  was  a  Brazilian  of  German  descent  and  who 
spoke  German  fluently.  Before  leaving  the  boat  he 
urged  me  to  be  very  careful  about  the  work  I  was  go- 
ing to  do  as  the  fanatical  element  in  that  city  was  very 
bitter  against  the  Protestants.  However,  if  I  should 
be  in  need  he  promised  to  stand  by  me. 

It  was  a  beautiful  Sunday  morning  when  I  landed 


IN  BAHIA  57 

in  that  enchanting  city  of  about  10,000  inhabitants  and 
it  happened  to  be  Carnival  Sunday,  a  day  given  over 
to  sin,  vice  and  crime.  I  was  wondering  whether  it 
would  be  wise  to  do  anything  in  such  a  time,  but,  asking 
the  Lord  about  it,  I  thought  that  it  would  be  well  to 
take  advantage  of  the  Carnival  season  and  distribute 
the  tracts  I  had  brought  to  the  multitudes  that  were 
crowding  the  streets. 

The  people  must  have  taken  my  work  as  a  carnival 
joke,  for  I  had  not  gone  far  with  my  tract  distribution 
when  a  crowd  began  to  follow  me  asking  for  more.  I 
distributed  all  I  had  and  when  I  saw  the  multitude 
begging  for  something  else  my  heart  began  to  yearn  to 
tell  them  the  story  of  salvation.  Climbing  upon  a  rock 
that  was  lying  at  the  corner  of  one  of  the  public 
squares  I  began  to  tell  them  of  Jesus  and  his  power 
to  save.  I  was  having  the  best  time  of  my  life.  I 
suppose  more  than  two  thousand  people  stood  around 
me  listening  attentively  to  the  message  of  love  and 
salvation. 

Soon,  however,  I  noticed  a  change  coming  over  the 
multitude.  Someone  was  poisoning  their  minds.  I 
began  to  notice  hatred  and  anger  and  then  protests. 
I  continued  to  preach,  however,  without  paying  much 
attention  to  those  things.  Then  someone  threw  mud  at 
me  which  struck  me  right  on  my  cheek.  This  act  pro- 
voked laughter  in  the  crowd  and  pandemonium  broke 
loose.  It  was  fortunate  that  the  chief  of  police  was 
present  and  managed  to  get  close  to  me.  Taking  my 
arm  he  led  me,  covered  by  a  protecting  guard,  to  my 
hotel,  where  I  was  kept  closely  guarded  during  the 
night. 

The  next  day  I  visited  many  of  the  citizens  of  the 


58  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

place  and  sold  a  good  iriany  Bibles  and  books.  The 
better  class  of  people  deplored  the  scene  that  had  taken 
place  the  day  before  and  promised  to  help  when  the 
work  was  to  be  started.  I  returned  to  Nictheroy  and 
reported  favorably  about  the  opening  of  a  mission  sta- 
tion if  competent  help  could  be  found.  I  was  sure  that 
the  work  would  prosper  and  it  certainly  did  when  a  few 
years  afterwards  the  Lord  led  Brother  Reno  to  give  his 
life  to  that  field  and  work.  It  is  now  the  general  ob- 
servation of  the  missionaries  that  in  every  place  where 
the  cause  of  the  Master  is  persecuted,  the  w^ork  pros- 
pers. Also,  in  every  place  where  the  cause  is  received 
by  the  people  with  indifference  the  work  seems  to  lag 
and,  in  spite  of  every  effort,  does  not  seem  to  go 
forward. 

The  Power  of  God's  Word. — Returning  to  Bahia  I 
received  one  day  the  visit  of  two  gentlemen,  one  a 
retired  officer  of  the  army  and  the  other  a  lawyer.  They 
had  come  from  the  city  of  Amargosa,  a  small  interior 
town  of  about  five  thousand  inhabitants.  They  brought 
two  little  tracts  with  them  on  which  was  printed  the 
address  of  the  mission.  One  was  entitled:  ^^Coma 
Orar ! ' '  (How  to  Pray ) ,  and  the  other :  "0  Novo  Nasci- 
mento!"  (The  New  Birth).  These  tracts  had  done  a 
great  work  in  the  heart  of  these  two  men.  They  had 
come  as  a  delegation  from  the  town  to  ask  the  mis- 
sionary to  visit  that  city  and  explain  in  the  town  theater 
the  meaning  of  such  teachings.  They  informed  me  that 
not  long  before  the  people  had  expelled  the  local  priest 
on  account  of  his  immoral  life  and  that  the  best  ele- 
ments in  the  town  were  anxious  to  learn  about  the 
teachings  of  the  Protestants.  Of  course  I  accepted  the 
invitation,  and  on  the  day  set  was  on  my  way  to  the 


IN  BAHIA  59 

place,  never  dreaming  of  the  great  things  the  Lord 
was  calling  me  to. 

To  reach  the  place  I  had  to  cross  the  bay,  sleep  in 
a  city  on  the  other  side  of  the  bay  and  take  a  train  the 
next  day  for  that  place.  I  filled  my  satchel  with  Bibles 
and  books  and  utilized  my  time  both  on  board  the  small 
vessel  as  well  as  in  the  hotel  and  trains  selling  books 
and  talking  to  a  great  many  about  Jesus  and  his  power 
to  save. 

In  the  train  I  noticed  a  nice  young  man  sitting  in  a 
second-class  carriage  and  I  felt  the  Spirit  of  God  move 
me  to  sell  him  a  Bible.  I  had  sold  about  all  my  books, 
but  had  kept  one  good  looking  copy  of  a  Bible  for  a 
present  to  one  of  the  higher  officials  of  the  town.  But 
I  felt  impelled  to  go  and  get  that  young  fellow  to  buy 
that  book.  I  went  up  to  him  and  sitting  down  by  his 
side  I  asked  him  to  buy  that  Bible.  I  told  him  plainly 
what  kind  of  a  book  it  was  and  how  the  priests  hated 
and  abused  the  Bible.  I  opened  up  several  pages  and 
read  different  passages  to  him.  He  at  first  seemed  to 
hesitate,  but  at  last  bought  the  book.  I  then  asked  him 
to  come  to  the  meeting  that  I  was  going  to  hold  in 
the  theater  in  the  city  to  which  both  of  us  were  travel- 
ing and  he  promised  to  come  and  w^e  both  went  to  the 
same  hotel. 

The  meeting  was  a  great  success.  It  began  about 
seven  in  the  evening  and  we  got  through  with  it  about 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  After  explaining  the  two 
tracts,  the  position  of  the  Baptist  churches  and  their 
beliefs  on  several  topics,  the  lawyer  who  had  come  to 
see  me  presented  a  series  of  questions  to  be  answered 
right  before  the  crowd.  It  was  very  interesting  and 
instructive,  though  it  does  tax  the  knowledge  of  a  fellow 


60  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

greatly.  I  was  glad  that  in  the  Seminary  I  had  gained 
a  medal  on  the  study  of  Popery,  as  Dr.  Grattan- 
Guinness,  the  director  of  our  college,  who  was  a  great 
authority  on  the  Romish  question,  had  drilled  me  so 
well  on  such  discussions. 

Of  course  I  did  not  talk  all  that  night.  We  also  had 
singing  of  hymns  and  with  my  little  Bilhorn  I  managed 
to  teach  the  crowd  some  of  our  beautiful  gospel  songs. 
One  little  verse  captured  the  crowd.  It  was  sung  with 
a  Salvation  Army  tune  and  ran  as  follows  in  Portu- 
guese : 

''0  sangue  de  Jesus  me  lavou,  me  lavou; 
0  sange  de  Jesus  me  lavou,  me  lavou; 
Alegre  cantarei,  louvores  ao  meu  Rei, 
Ao  meu  Senhor  Jesus,  que  me  salvou ! ' ' 

Translation: 

*'0h,  the  blood  of  Jesus  cleansed  me, 
Oh,  the  blood  of  Jesus  cleansed  me, 
Happily  wiU  I  sing  praises  to  my  King, 
To  my  Lord  Jesus,  w^ho  saved  me!" 

As  I  left  the  theater  for  a  little  sleep,  the  young  man 
who  had  bought  the  Bible  came  along  and  asked  me  to 
teach  him  that  song  and  those  words  as  he  was  very  anx- 
ious to  take  that  song  to  his  people.  We  sat  up  the 
rest  of  the  night  singing  and  talking  and  then  I  saw 
him  off  to  the  station,  asking  the  Lord  to  use  him  as  a 
messenger  of  God  to  some  needy  soul,  little  thinking 
how  wonderfully  the  Lord  would  answer  that  prayer, 
for  though  this  young  man  was  never  converted,  in  spite 


IN  BAHIA  61 

of  having  made  a  public  confession  of  faith,  the  Lord 
used  him  to  take  the  message  to  many  that  were  hun- 
gering for  the  light  of  life. 

It  was  a  few  years  afterwards  that  Dr.  Taylor  told 
me  of  the  effect  of  that  Bible.  The  work  in  Amargosa 
was  moving  along  nicely.  A  church  had  been  organ- 
ized as  a  direct  result  of  that  visit,  but  what  interested 
me  most  was  what  that  Bible  accomplished.  This  is  what 
had  happened.  The  young  fellow  on  reaching  home 
and  thinking  about  the  danger  of  having  a  book  pro- 
hibited by  the  priest  in  his  possession,  went  to  a  brother 
of  his  who  was  the  baker  of  the  town  and  a  very  devout 
Catholic.    He  took  the  Bible  to  him  and  told  him  : 

**Marcellino,  an  American,  a  foreigner,  made  me  buy 
this  book.  He  told  me  that  the  priests  prohibited  the 
reading  of  such  books  and  I  want  you  to  throw  it  into 
the  fire.'* 

The  baker  looked  at  the  book  and  asked  him  all  about 
it.  The  man  told  him  of  the  meeting  in  the  theater  and 
the  singing  of  hymns  and,  as  an  illustration,  sang  that 
Salvation  Army  song  about  the  ''Blood  of  Jesus 
cleasing  from  all  sin."  It  was  like  a  live  coal  from 
the  altar  of  God.  The  baker  was  hungering  and  thirst- 
ing for  salvation  and  that  message  of  song  stirred  his 
heart  and  soul  as  nothing  else  had  done. 

There  was  living  in  the  village  an  old  believer  who 
had  told  the  baker  about  Jesus  and  his  power  to  save 
and  had  been  praying  for  his  salvation.  The  Bible 
sent  to  him  through  the  instrumenta,lity  of  his  unbe- 
lieving brother  brought  him  to  the  saving  knowledge 
of  Christ.  He  asked  the  brother  to  let  him  look  through 
the  Bible  before  throwing  it  into  the  fire.    He  opened  it 


62  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

and  finding  several  of  the  pages  turned  down  began 
reading  therein. 

The  first  passage  he  read  was  Exodus  20,  the  Ten 
Commandments.  He  read  the  chapter  through  once, 
twice  and  several  times  more  until,  stirred  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  he  called  for  his  wife  and  asked  her  to  listen  to 
the  words  of  God.  He  read  the  passage  to  her,  laying 
stress  on  the  second  commandment,  where  it  is  plainly 
prohibited  to  have  idols  to  worship.  He  called  her 
attention  to  it  and  also  to  many  idols  that  adorned  the 
walls  of  their  home.  He  had  a  great  many  of  them  and 
with  tears  in  his  eyes  he  said: 

''Wife,  what  shall  we  do  about  it ?" 

''Why,"  she  said,  "the  only  thing  to  do  is  to  burn 
them."  He  did  not  wait  for  further  instructions,  but 
gathering  up  the  whole  outfit  he  threw  them  all  into 
the  oven.  That  was  a  glorious  beginning.  The  baker 
became  a  burning  torch  for  God.  He  gave  his  all,  his 
life,  his  time  and  his  means  to  the  work  of  the  kingdom 
of  God. 

He  had  a  brother  who  was  a  rich  land  and  cattle 
owner  as  w^ell  as  a  leading  politician  in  a  neighboring 
county.  This  brother  came  to  see  him  and  to  argue  with 
him  about  his  change  of  religion.  Unable  to  convince 
him  he  brought  a  priest  along  to  drive  the  devil  out 
of  him,  but  both  returned  unable  to  destroy  the  work  of 
the  Spirit  of  God. 

It  was  not  long  after  that  until  this  brother  also  saw 
the  light  and  became  a  veritable  Evangel  for  Christ  in 
that  vast  interior  of  Brazil.  As  a  result  of  that  Bible 
there  are  today  dozens  of  churches  and  preaching  places 
proving  once  more  the  reality  of  that  glorious  promise 
of  God:     "My  Word  shall  not  return  unto  me  void.*' 


IN  BAHIA  63 

A  Narrow  Escape. — Dr.  Taylor  had  returned  from 
the  States  and  we  had  decided  to  divide  the  work.  He 
was  to  stay  in  town  and  build  np  the  local  church  and 
I  was  to  take  up  the  interior  work.  Soon  I  left  in  the 
city  of  Bahia,  my  young  wife,  and  started  on  a  trip  of 
about  1,000  miles  inland  to  a  city  called  Jacobina,  one 
of  the  oldest  in  the  State,  a  great  gold  mining  center, 
and  where  we  had  several  persons  interested  in  the 
gospel. 

The  train  took  me  as  far  as  Queimadas,  the  terminal 
of  the  railroad.  I  reached  the  place  on  a  Saturday,  the 
great  market  day,  and  found  the  town  crowded  with 
thousands  of  people  that  had  come  from  all  over  that 
region  to  sell  their  goods.  It  was  considered  one  of 
the  greatest  market  centers  of  the  State.  Gambling 
and  drinking  as  well  as  every  other  crime  was  the  order 
of  the  day.  I  had  with  me  an  old  colporter,  a  well- 
known  and  highly-respected  character  of  that  region, 
who  was  a  great  help  to  me,  especially  through  his 
knowledge  of  the  road  and  of  the  medicinal  value  of 
herbs  and  plants. 

I  set  up  my  little  organ  in  the  most  public  place  of 
the  market  and  began  playing  some  of  our  hymns.  If 
there  is  one  thing  a  Brazilian  appreciates  it  certainly 
is  music,  and  it  did  not  take  much  time  to  collect  an 
enormous  crowd. 

Having  their  attention  I  began  singing  a  hymn  and 
the  crowd  continued  to  grow  and  to  listen.  They  had 
never  seen  nor  heard  such  a  thing.  Then  someone 
thought  that  I  was  singing  for  money  and  the  crowd 
began  to  place  nickels  and  dimes  on  the  little  organ. 
This,  of  course,  gave  me  my  text.  Standing  upon  a 
stool  I  began  to  explain  to  them  my  object  and  mission, 


64  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

telling  them  that  I  had  not  come  for  their  gifts,  but  to 
tell  them  of  the  great  gift  of  God — of  a  Savior  whose 
gifts  were  free  and  whose  blessings  were  to  be  had  for 
the  asking.  Oh,  the  joy  of  preaching  the  gospel  to 
hungry  multitudes !  My  heart  was  overflowing  with  joy 
at  the  opportunity  to  tell  those  thousands  of  souls  that 
had  never  heard  of  the  love  of  a  loving  God,  and  of  a 
Savior  mighty  to  save.  And  how  they  listened!  With 
ears  and  eyes  and  mouths  wide  open  they  seemed  to 
drink  in  every  word  of  my  message. 

Just  as  I  was  reaching  the  climax  of  my  speech  the 
good  colporter  called  my  attention  to  a  commotion  that 
was  taking  place  on  the  outskirts  of  the  immense  crowd, 
informing  me  in  frightened  tones,  that  the  relatives  of 
the  local  priest  were  stirring  up  the  fanatics  against  me 
telling  them  that  I  was  the  long  expected  anti-christ.  It 
so  happened  that  the  priest  who  had  charge  of  that 
town  had  a  great  number  of  children.  Though  not 
supposed  to  have  children,  almost  all  the  priests,  espe- 
cially in  the  interior,  live  in  sin,  having  one  or  more 
women,  and  consequently  a  good  many  descendents.  As 
the  income  of  a  priest  in  a  place  like  the  one  mentioned 
is  large,  he  finds  no  difficulty  in  marrying  off  his  il- 
legitimate children,  as  the  marriage  is  always  accom- 
panied by  a  good  dowry.  This,  of  course,  enhances  his 
hold  upon  the  people.  These  descendants  watch  care- 
fully over  the  interests  that  affect  the  income  of  the 
priest  and  will  naturally  oppose  any  movement  that 
might  injure  his  business  which  is  also  theirs. 

These  innumerable  descendants  of  the  priest  were 
stirring  up  the  fanatical  elements  in  that  great  vast 
throng  and  it  did  not  take  me  long  to  see  the  danger 
I  was  in.    I  kept  on  preaching,  fearing  that  as  soon  as 


IN  BAHIA  65 

I  stopped  they  would  fall  on  me  and  destroy  not  only 
my  organ  and  books  but  also  myself  and  the  good  col- 
porter.  While  I  preached  I  also  prayed  and  asked  the 
Lord  to  come  to  my  rescue.  I  was  alone  in  the  place. 
I  did  not  know  anyone  and  had  not  even  visited  the 
Chief  of  Police  to  tell  him  of  my  work  and  stop-over 
in  town.  My  intention  had  been  to  pass  through  the 
place  and  go  on  the  next  day  to  Jacobina.  How  to 
escape  this  great  crowd,  growing  every  minute  more 
threatening  and  dangerous,  I  really  could  not  imagine. 
Several  were  taking  out  their  daggers  and  passing  the 
edge  over  the  palm  of  their  hands,  and  were  pointing 
them  at  me  as  if  to  say,  ''This  will  do  you  all  right." 
Oh,  how  I  prayed,  asking  the  Lord  to  show  me  a  way 
out,  not  so  much  for  my  own  sake  as  for  the  sake  of  the 
man  who  had  so  willingly  left  his  wife  and  children  and 
come  with  me  to  help  me  in  my  work.  He  looked  up  to 
me  several  times  with  eyes  full  of  tears  as  if  to  say, 
*'We  are  lost." 

In  a  flash  a  thought  came  to  me  to  make  the  Masonic 
sign  of  distress.  Could  it  be  possible  that  in  that  out- 
of-the-way  place  I  would  meet  with  a  brother  Mason? 
I  tried  it  and  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  someone  was  just 
waiting  for  that  sign,  for  in  less  than  five  minutes  about 
half  a  dozen  men  came  to  me  and  surrounded  the  stool 
upon  which  I  was  standing  and  told  me  that  they  had 
come  to  take  me  to  their  homes.  It  certainly  was  a 
great  surprise!  Soon  I  was  safely  installed  in  one  of 
the  best  parlors  of  the  town,  protected  by  soldiers  with 
loaded  guns.  I  thanked  my  heavenly  Father  for  de- 
livering me  so  wonderfully  from  that  infuriated  crowd. 

Near  Death's  Door. — The  next  day  I  continued  my 
trip,  this  time  on  horseback.     It  being  my  first  trip 


66  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

into  the  interior  I  was  not  very  careful  about  the  food 
I  ate  nor  the  kind  of  water  I  drank.  Consequently  the 
third  day  out  I  began  to  suffer  with  a  very  high  fever. 
The  colporter  was  distressed.  To  take  me  back  to  the 
place  I  had  left  he  was  afraid,  as  he  did  not  have  much 
confidence  in  the  medical  help  which  I  would  get.  So 
after  preparing  a  concoction  of  tea  with  the  bark  of  the 
quinine  tree  which  he  gave  me  to  drink,  he  tied  me  on 
my  horse  and  after  two  days  of  hot  and  burning  sun 
and  violent  fever  he  brought  me  into  Jacobina,  and 
turned  me  over  to  a  Jewish  merchant  who  happened  to 
be  the  local  physician. 

What  happened  to  me  after  that  was  told  by  this 
Jew.  For  two  days  I  had  high  fever  and  was  very 
delirious.  The  colporter  had  found  in  one  of  my  pockets 
a  letter  I  had  received  from  the  lodge  of  which  I  was 
a  member  recommending  me  to  this  Jewish  brother. 
Of  course  my  name  was  Jewish  enough,  but  he  could 
not  make  out  my  business,  and  when  the  colporter 
told  him  that  I  was  a  Baptist  preacher  he  of  course 
knew  that  I  was  according  to  his  ideas,  a  Jewish  apos- 
tate. Just  a  few  wee^is  before  my  arrival  he  had 
driven  out  of  his  home  his  only  daughter  because  she 
was  resolved  to  marry  a  Gentile,  and  one  can  imagine 
his  feelings  when  right  to  his  door  was  brought,  in  a 
most  helpless  condition,  a  Jewish  renegade.  His  de- 
sire was  to  let  me  die,  as  I,  in  his  opinion,  surely 
deserved.  But  there  was  that  letter  from  the  lodge 
calling  him  to  the  fulfilment  of  his  duty  as  a  member 
to  a  needy  brother  and  forgetting  his  own  personal  re- 
sentment, he  began  to  treat  me  as  a  father  would  his 
own  child.  Someone  must  have  been  interceding  for 
me,  for  I  was  not  only  saved  from  death,  but  before 


IN  BAHIA  67 

leaving  I  was  able  to  reconcile  that  father  to  his  daugh- 
ter and  leave  them  with  their  ideas  completely  changed 
about  Christ. 

Death  of  Mrs.  Carrie  Bishop  Ginshurg. — When  I 
reached  home  from  this  interior  trip  I  found  my  wife 
sick  with  yellow  fever.  The  salary  I  was  receiving  was 
so  meager,  that  to  be  able  to  live,  I  had  to  move  into 
the  Mission  property,  the  old  Jesuit  prison.  It  was 
no  doubt  there  that  Mrs.  Ginsburg  had  contracted  the 
dreadful  disease.  The  day  I  discovered  that  she  was 
sick  with  fever  I  searched  the  town  for  a  physician  and 
though  Bahia  boasts  of  a  medical  faculty,  on  that  day 
not  one  decent  or  capable  physician  could  be  found.  It 
was  Memorial  Day  or  All  Saints'  Day  and  everybody 
seemed  to  be  away  from  home.  The  only  English  physi- 
cian in  town  was  sick  in  bed.  Finally  I  managed  to 
get  one  who,  misunderstanding  the  malady  applied 
leeches,  which  I  have  no  doubt  hastened  her  death. 

That  was  a  sad  day  for  me  when  she  breathed  her 
last.  For  ten  long  days  I  watched  by  her  bedside,  doing 
all  that  was  in  my  power  to  save  her  precious  life.  We 
had  known  each  other  for  more  than  three  years  and 
had  been  married  only  about  four  months.  A  portion 
of  those  few  months  I  was  away  in  the  interior.  We 
had  planned  to  do  a  great  work  and  were  on  the  way  to 
accomplish  something  for  our  Master  in  Brazil,  and, 
lo,  here  she  was  being  taken  away  from  me  before  we 
really  had  begun  to  live.  When  her  last  moments  came 
and  she  realized  that  she  was  dying  she  called  me  to 
her  side  and  whispered  in  my  ear:  ^'Do  not  weep  for 
me,  I  am  happy,  for  I  am  going  home."  While  the 
believers  who  had  learned  to  love  her  sweet  and  sunny 
smile  and  great  help  she  gave  them  as  a  trained  nurse. 


68  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

stood  around  weeping,  she  breathed  her  last,  the  same 
sweet  smile  hovering  over  her  face. 

No  one  was  allowed  to  follow  her  last  remains  on 
account  of  the  yellow  fever  and  my  heart  felt  sad  and 
lonely  when  I  saw  her  lowered  into  the  grave  in  the 
English  cemetery  to  await  the  great  and  glorious  resur- 
rection morn. 

Thus  ended  a  short  but  sweet  life,  consecrated  and 
used  by  the  Master.  Little  did  she  do  herself,  though 
she  was  preparing  herself  for  a  great  work;  but  she 
did  one  thing  and  that  was  to  guide  my  steps  into  the 
mission  field.  It  was  under  God,  due  to  her,  that  I 
was  led  to  think  of  the  foreign  mission  field  as  my 
sphere  of  labor.  Had  it  not  been  for  her,  and  her  en- 
thusiasm for  the  work  in  foreign  fields  I  very  likely 
would  have  never  thought  of  it  and  would  have  no 
doubt  continued  setting  up  type  until  the  present  time. 

I  will  never  forget  the  first  time  we  met  on  the  sea- 
shore off  the  south  of  England  where  I  was  passing  my 
holidays.  She  was  taking  an  active  part  in  the  meet- 
ings for  children.  We  talked  together  for  hours  about 
the  Master's  work  and,  oh,  how  she  opened  my  eyes  to 
the  possibilities  of  one's  life  in  the  foreign  field  where 
millions  were  dying  without  the  knowledge  of  God  and 
the  blessed  Savior.  It  was  she  who  introduced  me  to  the 
China  Inland  Mission  and  it  was  also  she  who  helped 
me  to  get  through  the  Regions  Beyond  Mission  Col- 
lege. She  had  accomplished  her  purpose  and  the  Lord 
took  her  to  her  reward. 

The  Lord  gave,  the  Lord  took  her  away.  Blessed  be 
the  Name  of  the  Lord! 


CHAPTER  IV 
IN  CAMPOS  (1893-1900) 

Return  to  Nictheroy. — After  the  death  of  my  first 
wife  in  1892,  I  thought  it  best  to  leave  Bahia. 

Dr.  W.  B.  Bagby  happened  to  pass  by  the  city  of 
Bahia  about  that  time  on  his  way  to  New  York.  He 
had  left  Dr.  J.  J.  Taylor,  one  of  the  new  missionaries 
lately  arrived  in  Brazil,  to  look  after  the  mission  af- 
fairs as  well  as  care  for  the  work  in  the  great  city  of 
Rio  de  Janeiro.  Dr.  Bagby  asked  me  to  move  to  Rio 
and  help  in  the  work  in  that  great  metropolis  of  Brazil. 
I  gladly  accepted  the  call  seeing  in  this  a  call  from 
God.  I  moved  to  Rio  and  across  the  bay  to  Nictheroy. 
There  I  took  charge  of  the  local  church  in  the  same 
community  in  which  I  first  began  to  work  for  my  Mas- 
ter in  Brazil  and  where  the  Lord  had  been  so  good 
to  me, 

Nictheroy  is  the  capital  of  the  State  of  Rio  de  Janeiro. 
Rio  de  Janeiro  proper  is  the  name  given  to  the  Federal 
District.  Nictheroy  lies  just  across  the  bay  from  the 
Federal  District  and  has  a  government  of  its  own.  It 
is  a  city  of  about  50,000  inhabitants.  Though  many  of 
its  inhabitants  work  in  Rio,  just  across  the  bay,  it  has 
a  life  of  its  own  and  industries  that  flourish.  It  is  a 
great  evangelistic  center  and  a  very  important  field  to 
be  occupied  for  Christ. 

Moving  to  this  field  was  a  real  delight,  as  it  brought 

69 


70  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

me  back  to  my  former  friends  and  brethren.  We  were 
greatly  blessed,  the  small  church  growing  apace  in  num- 
ber as  well  as  in  good  works,  so  much  so  that  we  had  to 
enlarge  our  rented  hall  and  in  less  than  six  months 
tear  down  two  walls.  Most  of  our  work  was  done  in  the 
open  air.  Every  Sunday  I  held  two  or  more  open-air 
meetings  and  our  preaching  place  was  always  crowded. 
The  number  of  members  grew  from  twenty  to  over 
sixty  and  the  believers  were  beginning  to  lay  aside 
means  for  building  a  chapel  and  entering  into  self- 
support. 

Suddenly,  the  whole  work  had  to  be  laid  aside  on 
account  of  a  revolution  that  broke  out.  The  Brazilian 
Navy  and  the  Army,  stopping  all  traffic  between  the 
Federal  Capital  and  Nictheroy,  separating  families,  scat- 
tering our  believers,  transformed  the  great  city  of  Nic- 
theroy into  a  military  camp.  After  struggling  for  a 
month,  helping  to  unite  the  families  that  had  been 
separated  on  account  of  this  revolution,  I  was  finally 
obliged  to  leave  Nictheroy  also.  Storing  my  furniture 
in  a  convenient  place  I  moved  to  the  city  of  Campos,  a 
city  about  150  miles  to  the  north  of  Nictheroy,  hoping 
to  be  able  as  soon  as  the  revolution  should  end  to  return 
to  Nictheroy  and  continue  the  work  there.  But  the 
Lord  had  other  plans  for  me. 

Marriage  to  Miss  Emma  Morton. — After  the  death 
of  my  first  wife  my  chief  desire  was  to  return  to  the 
United  States  and  take  a  special  theological  course  in 
the  Louisville  Seminary.  My  knowledge  of  Baptist 
principles,  customs  and  usages  was  very  meager.  But 
dear  Dr.  J.  R.  Willingham  asked  me  to  stay  in  Brazil 
as  laborers  were  very  few  and  the  work  was  in  great 
need  of  help.     To  remain  in  Brazil  I  could  not  remain 


IN  CAMPOS   (1893-1900)  71 

single,  as  the  work  of  a  single  missionary  is  greatly 
hampered.  God  in  his  marvelous  providence  seemed  to 
have  raised  up  a  qualified  and  competent  helper  for 
me,  one  who,  also  single,  was  hampered  in  her  useful- 
ness in  the  Master's  service. 

The  person  mentioned  was  Miss  Emma  P.  Morton, 
missionary  of  our  Foreign  Mission  Board,  who  had  ar- 
rived in  Brazil  in  1889.  We  were  married  on  the  first 
of  August,  1893,  in  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Rio  de 
Janeiro  by  Dr.  J.  J.  Taylor.  It  was  a  very  quiet  and 
unostentatious  marriage. 

What  this  good  woman  has  been  to  me  and  to  my 
work  it  is  impossible  to  state.  Had  it  not  been  for  her, 
her  courage  and  counsel  and  prayers,  I  would  never 
have  been  able  to  do  the  work  the  Lord  has  enabled 
me  to  do.  Quiet  and  unassuming,  never  uttering  a  dis- 
couraging note,  though  only  God  knows  the  trials  and 
sufferings  we  have  had  to  go  through,  she  has  stood 
by  my  side  like  a  strong  tower  upon  which  I  have  been 
able  to  lean  and  rest.  She  is  known  on  the  mission 
field  as  one  who  has  never  been  heard  to  utter  a  dis- 
paraging word  about  any  other  missionary.  Never  a 
complaint  could  be  heard  from  her  lips. 

What  a  wonderful  blessing  the  Lord  had  in  store 
for  me!  How  glorious  are  his  dealings  with  us  and 
for  us!  Who  would  have  thought  that  the  ends  of  the 
earth  should  meet  in  far  away  Brazil  and  together  we 
would  live  and  work  for  the  Master  these  many  years. 
And  the  children  he  has  given  us,  what  a  joy  and  what 
a  treasure !  He  certainly  has  been  gracious  to  us  and 
we  praise  and  magnify  his  Holy  name  for  all  his  good- 
ness to  us  during  all  these  years  of  labor  and  blessings 
untold. 


72  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Driven  to  Campos. — The  city  of  Campos,  situated 
in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  State  of  Rio,  is  the 
largest,  richest  and  most  progressive  city  of  that  State, 
larger  and  more  important  commercially  than  the  capi- 
tal of  the  State.  Surrounding  the  city  are  wonderful 
plains,  rich  lowlands,  filled  with  the  best  of  sugar 
cane,  corn  and  rice  fields.  Three  hundred  sugar  cane 
mills  are  situated  in  that  section  of  the  county,  some  of 
these  being  the  largest  in  Brazil.  The  Sugar  King  of 
Brazil  lives  in  Campos.  Though  situated  about  fifty 
miles  inland,  it  has  an  outlet  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
via  the  port  of  San  John  da  Barra,  and  has  a  small  fleet 
of  vessels  that  ply  between  Campos  and  the  Federal 
Capital,  taking  down  its  own  merchandise  and  bringing 
back  to  Campos  most  of  the  necessities  of  life. 

In  Campos  was  living  an  American  Southern  gentle- 
man who  after  the  Civil  War,  in  which  he  lost  every- 
thing, had  moved  to  this  city  in  an  effort  to  start  a  new 
fortune.  Though  not  a  religious  man,  every  American 
found  in  him  a  great  friend  and  his  home  an  open  house. 
Having  spent  over  thirty  years  in  that  city  and  gained 
the  good  will  and  confidence  of  the  people  he  thought 
it  time  to  take  a  furlough  and  return  to  his  own  coun- 
try and  find  out  how  things  were  going  in  the  land  of 
Dixie  since  he  had  left  it.  Before  leaving  he  informed 
me  that  any  time  I  was  in  Campos  he  would  consider 
it  a  personal  favor  for  me  to  stay  in  his  home,  which 
he  had  left  in  the  care  of  a  Brazilian  who  would  treat 
me  with  his  usual  gracious  hospitality. 

When  the  revolution  compelled  me  to  abandon  Nie- 
theroy  we  moved  to  Campos  and  into  the  home  of  this 
American  gentleman  whose  name  was  Beale.  Having 
to  leave  all  our  furniture  in  Nictheroy  and  expecting  to 


IN  CAMPOS   (1893-1900)  73 

return  to  it  as  soon  as  the  revolution  was  over,  we 
thought  it  a  real  God-send  to  have  a  palatial  home  like 
that  to  go  to  and  where  we  found  everything  necessary 
for  our  comfort. 

Our  work  in  Campos  had  been  started  one  year  pre- 
viously by  Dr.  Bagby,  though  religious  work  had  been 
carried  on  for  several  years  before  by  the  PT-e^^^^^tsrians 
and  Congregationalists,  but  they  had  abandoned  it.  Dr. 
Bagby  was  invited  to  visit  that  city  and,  realizing  its 
importance  for  the  future,  remained  there  long  enough 
to  organize  a  church,  leaving  a  native  helper  to  look 
after  it  in  his  absence. 

In  1892  the  Minas  missionary  couples,  Downing  and 
Soper,  moved  to  Campos  and  did  good  work,  but  unfor- 
tunately they  were  unable  to  stay  on  account  of  sick- 
ness. Both  missionary  couples  had  to  leave.  When  I 
moved  into  Campos  the  work  had  dwindled  down  to  a 
minimum. 

I  found  a  group  of  about  thirty  members.  From 
that  little  handful  of  seed  there  has  come  forth  the 
greatest  mission  field  in  Brazil.  At  the  present  time 
the  Campos  Mission  reports  over  sixty  organized 
churches,  most  of  them  self-supporting,  with  a  member- 
ship of  over  eight  thousand,  and  preaching  places  to 
the  number  of  about  150,  which  in  the  next  five  or  ten 
years  will  be  self-supporting  churches.  In  baptisms 
this  field  is  now  reporting  every  year  about  a  thousand. 
We  thank  God  for  the  privilege  of  having  been  per- 
mitted to  lay  the  foundations  that  have  stood  the  test 
of  time. 

I  do  not  intimate  thai  all  the  success  is  due  to  my 
labors  because  I  know  that  those  who  followed.  Duns- 
tan,  Crosland,  Christie  and  the  native  preachers,  like 


74  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Joaquim  Lessa  and  others  did  the  greatest  part  of  the 
work.  But  I  do  thank  God  for  having  given  me  the 
opportunity  and  privilege  of  being  on  the  field  just  at 
the  beginning  and  of  having  had  some  part  in  the  laying 
of  the  foundations  of  the  great  edifice  that  is  now  glo- 
rifying God  and  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ  so  wonder- 
fully. 

I  had  glorious  eisperiences  in  Campos  and  great 
struggles  and  difficulties.  Of  these  experiences  I  can 
only  relate  a  few.  These,  however,  will  prove  to  the 
reader  that  our  God  is  still  doing,  wonders  and  that 
in  the  great  enterprise  of  Missions  it  is  he  and  he 
alone  that  does  the  work.  ^'Not  unto  us,  0  God,  not 
unto  us,  but  unto  Thy  Name  give  glory. ' '    Psalm  115 :1. 

Building  My  First  House  of  Worship. — One  of  the 
first  things  I  attempted  was  the  building  of  a  good 
house  of  worship.  The  believers  were  few  and  all  were 
very  poor.  Fortunately,  we  had  the  good  will  of  the 
people  of  the  city.  After  some  struggle  we  obtained 
for  a  reasonable  price  an  excellent  piece  of  property 
right  in  front  of  the  public  market  place.  Then  I  began 
to  pray  for  means  to  put  up  the  building.  I  went  to 
the  Board  in  Richmond,  but  Dr.  Willingham  informed 
me  that  there  were  no  funds  available.  The  church  had 
about  $100  in  the  treasury  and  we  decided  to  start 
the  building. 

One  of  my  maxims,  learned  from  dear  Dr.  John  "Wil- 
kinson, of  the  Mildmay  Mission,  to  the  Jews,  was  to  ask 
the  Lord  and  tell  the  people  about  our  needs.  One  day 
I  thought  I  would  let  the  citizens  of  the  place  know 
what  the  church  was  trying  to  do  and  of  what  benefit 
it  would  be  to  a  city  like  Campos.  I  did  not  make  an 
appeal,  but  let  them  know  that  we  would  welcome  any 


IN  CAMPOS  (1893-1900)  75 

help  if  anyone  felt  disposed  to  give.  Next  day  the 
Vicar  of  the  town,  a  bitter  Jesuit  priest,  published  an 
article  in  which  he  denounced  the  Protestant  religion, 
calling  it  all  the  vile  names  imaginable  and  closed  his 
tirade  with  the  following  admonition:  *' Anyone  daring 
to  help,  in  any  or  whatever  shape  or  form  the  building 
of  a  Protestant  chapel  will  be  ipso  facto,  by  that  very 
act,  excommunicated."  That  article  helped  me  to 
finish  the  building  of  that  beautiful  chapel,  one  of  the 
best  in  Brazil.  Every  day  after  that  article  appeared 
the  mail  brought  me  letters  containing  cheques  or  money 
orders  from  ten  to  fifty  or  more  dollars,  which  almost 
always  concluded  with  the  following  statement:  **Mr. 
Ginsburg,  please  publish  my  name  and  that  I  have  sent 
vou  some  money  for  I  do  want  to  be  excommunicated." 
Most  of  the  Brazilians  believe  that  the  greatest  blessing 
that  could  come  into  their  lives  is  an  excommunication 
from  the  Pope  or  priest.  Many  also  truly  believe  that 
the  greatest  disaster  that  could  come  into  their  lives 
or  homes  is  a  blessing  from  the  Pope. 

Starting  in  San  Fidelis. — After  establishing  the 
work  in  Campos  I  turned  to  the  next  important  center 
of  the  State,  viz. :  the  city  of  San  Fidelis,  in  a  rich 
coffee  district,  a  city  of  about  10,000  inhabitants  and 
where  there  were  a  few  interested. 

I  rented  a  house  in  the  heart  of  the  town  and  fur- 
nished it  with  a  few  benches  and  a  table.  Taking  with 
me  the  inseparable  folding  organ,  I  went  to  that  city 
to  commence  the  work  for  the  Master.  Mrs.  Ginsburg 
went  along  and  also  one  of  our  native  helpers  who 
brought  one  of  his  daughters  with  him  to  help  us  with 
the  singing  of  the  hymns.  The  interested  persons  in 
that  place  were  only  three,  a  man,  his  wife  and  his 


76  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

servant  girl.  Altogether  we  were  seven  and  we  began 
the  work.  At  about  seven  in  the  evening  I  began  the 
meeting  by  singing  a  few  hymns  and  soon  a  crowd  of 
about  a  thousand  people  came  and  stood  before  the 
house.  The  preaching  hall  was  a  front  room  with  three 
windows  and  a  door  opening  into  the  street.  Leading 
this  crowd  was  a  small  stout  elderly  looking  man  who, 
I  was  informed  later,  was  the  political  boss  of  the  place 
or  county,  which  is  quite  an  important  political  position 
in  Brazil.  He  had  one  son  as  Chief  of  Police  and  an- 
other as  Registrar  of  Deeds.  All  three  had  a  great 
political  pull  in  the  city,  and  county  and  State  and  as 
such  were  able  to  cover  up  a  good  deal  of  their  rascality. 

As  long  as  hymns  were  sung  no  opposition  developed 
except  the  throwing  of  stones,  grass  and  rubbish.  As 
soon  as  I  began  to  speak,  however,  pandemonium  would 
break  loose.  Indecent  and  insulting  words  were 
launched  at  us.  Unable  to  make  myself  heard  I  resolved 
to  sing  hymns.  It  is  still  surprising  to  me  why  they 
did  not  enter  the  room  and  attack  us  directly  and  break 
up  everything  and  everybody.  However,  the  Lord 
seemed  to  have  restrained  them.  Once  I  said  to  the 
political  boss  as  he  was  standing  in  the  door:  **Why 
don't  you  come  in?"  The  only  answer  he  gave  was  to 
lift  up  a  thick  club  that  he  had  in  his  hand  and  say, 
using  a  very  insulting  term,  "If  I  go  in  it  will  be  to 
break  your  head."  I  said,  **A11  right,  come  in  and 
break  my  head,  but  first  listen  to  what  I  have  to  say." 
Finally  a  stone  struck  the  temple  of  the  daughter  of 
the  native  helper  and  I  had  to  close  the  meeting,  an- 
nouncing another  one  for  the  following  day. 

In  Prison  Again. — ^Next  day,  quite  early,  an  emissary 
of  the  Chief  of  Police  came  to  the  hotel  where  I  was 


IN  CAMPOS  (1893-1900)  77 

staying  and  invited  me  to  appear  at  his  office.  I  sus- 
pected that  I  would  not  be  allowed  to  come  back.  Hav- 
ing some  money  with  me  I  turned  it  over  to  my  wife 
and  told  her  not  to  fear  and  that  if  I  should  not  be 
allowed  to  return  to  her,  to  telegraph  to  Rio  de  Janeiro 
and  get  the  brethren  to  take  up  the  matter. 

Beaching  the  office  of  the  Chief  I  found  him  sitting 
at  the  head  of  a  long  table,  having  on  one  hand  his 
secretary  and  at  the  other  his  brother,  the  Registrar 
of  Deeds,  and  walking  up  and  down  the  floor  the  politi- 
cal boss,  his  father. 

**What  is  your  name  and  profession ?''  he  asked.  I 
took  out  my  card  and  gave  it  to  him. 

^*You  are  prohibited  to  preach  your  damnable  re- 
ligion," he  shouted  in  a  very  angry  voice.  ''You  are 
prohibited  to  preach  your  damnable  doctrines  in  this 
whole  county." 

I  was  standing  in  front  of  him  and  answered  him 
in  a  calm  voice  and  a  broad  smile  on  my  face,  *'Sr. 
Delegado  (Mr.  Chief),  I  am  very  sorry  not  to  be  able 
to  accommodate  you  in  this  particular  case.  You  see," 
I  said,  ''I  am  a  Baptist  and  we  Baptists  do  not  accept 
orders  in  matters  of  religion  from  any  civil  authority, 
neither  from  you,  nor  the  governor  of  the  State  nor 
even  from  the  President  of  the  Republic.  We  have 
orders  from  one  who  is  superior  to  all  of  you. ' ' 

The  poor  fellow  must  have  thought  that  I  had  orders 
from  the  President  of  the  United  States,  for  he  asked  in 
a  furious  voice  and  with  a  fiery,  indignant  expression, 
*'And  who  is  superior  to  the  President  of  my  country?" 

I  happened  to  have  my  New  Testament  with  me 
and  opening  it  at  Mattnew  28 :18  and  19,  I  read  to  him 
the  following  words: 


78  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

*'A11  authority  hath  been  given  unto  me  in  heaven 
and  on  earth.  Go  ye,  therefore,  and  make  disciples  of 
all  nations,  baptizing  them  into  the  name  of  the  Father 
and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  ''This  is  my 
authority  and  I  am  here  to  fulfill  the  orders  of  my  Lord 
and  Master  Jesus  Christ.  I  am  here  obeying  this 
order,"  I  informed  him  and  sat  down. 

He  certainly  did  not  expect  such  an  answer  for  a 
profound  silence  settled  over  them  all.  After  a  few 
minutes  he,  more  furiously  than  ever,  began  to  in- 
sult me,  using  abusive  language  on  account  of  a  bap- 
tism I  had  celebrated  in  the  river  and  that  malicious 
tongues  had  twisted  into  a  kind  of  indecent  ceremony, 
as  he  expressed  it.  I  told  him  that  in  matters  of  re- 
ligion I  had  absolutely  no  desire  to  justify  my  actions. 
"If  I  have  committed  a  crime  or  practiced  something 
unlawful,  I  was  ready  to  appear  before  the  competent 
judge  and  answer  for  myself,  but  as  to  what  I  did  or 
practiced  in  my  religious  work  he  had  nothing  to  do 
with  it."  Losing  his  temper,  not  expecting  such  plain, 
outspoken  Baptist  principles,  he  told  me  that  I  was  a 
prisoner  at  the  disposal  of  the  Governor  of  the  State, 
and  calling  a  soldier  with  a  loaded  gun,  he  told  him  to 
keep  his  eye  on  me  and  that  he  would  be  responsible 
with  his  life  for  my  person. 

That  day  and  night  I  passed  in  a  large  spacious  hall 
a  prisoner.  He  would  not  allow  anyone  to  see  me 
and  I  barely  managed  to  obtain  some  food,  as  it  was 
sent  to  me  by  my  wife.  I  passed  the  night  sleeping 
on  a  hard  bench,  though  I  did  not  sleep  much  on  ac- 
count of  the  abundance  of  rats  that  infested  that  place. 

Next  morning  before  the  train  left  for  Nictheroy, 
the  capital  of  the  State,  the  Chief  came  to  see  me.    He 


IN  CAMPOS   (1893-1900)  79 

allowed  my  wife  to  come  also.  I  suppose  he  thought 
that  I  would  sue  for  mercy,  but  as  we  walked  along 
that  hall  chatting  and  laughing  for  the  very  joy  of  be- 
ing permitted  to  suffer  for  the  Master,  he  called  to  me 
and  said  in  a  very  gentle  and  kind  voice, 

*^Ora,  Sr.  Salomao!"  (Ginsburg  was  too  difficult  a 
name  for  the  natives  to  pronounce  so  they  would  call 
me  Solomon.)  ''Now,  Mr.  Solomon,  you  could  easily 
avoid  this  inconvenience." 

''Well,  what  must  I  do  to  avoid  it?"  I  asked 

*'You  promise  me  that  you  will  not  return  to  this 
city  to  preach  your  religion  and  I  will  let  you  go  back 
to  Campos." 

I  just  smiled  in  his  face  and  told  him  that  I  did  not 
preach  the  day  before  because  I  was  a  prisoner,  but 
should  I  get  out  he  could  be  sure  that  I  would  preach. 
As  soon  as  I  was  released  he  might  expect  me  to  re- 
turn and  continue  the  services  announced. 

Disgusted  I  suppose  at  my  obstinacy  he  called  four 
more  soldiers  with  loaded  guns  and  told  me  to  march  to 
the  station.  Mrs.  Ginsburg  came  along  also.  Though 
not  knowing  what  might  happen  to  me  or  her,  never  for 
one  moment  did  she  advise  me  to  give  in  to  the  authori- 
ties. I  begged  her  to  return  to  Campos,  but  she  would 
not  listen  to  that.  She  stood  by  me  like  a  real  Ameri- 
can wife  and  seemed  perfectly  happy  and  satisfied  at 
the  privilege  of  suffering  for  the  Master.  The  rabble 
had  a  good  time  then,  yelling  all  kinds  of  insults  and 
throwing  stones  at  us,  but  we  really  did  not  mind  it, 
for  we  were  just  happy. 

Surrounded  by  the  five  soldiers,  we  left  the  city  for 
the  capital  of  the  State  where  we  arrived  in  the  eve- 
ning.   The  soldiers,  though  they  were  supposed  to  look 


80  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

after  us,  left  us  entirely  to  ourselves.     They  certainly 
treated  us  better  than  the  Chief. 

When  the  train  reached  Nictheroy,  the  sailors  who 
were  fighting  the  soldiers,  as  soon  as  they  saw  some 
uniforms  began  firing  at  the  squad  that  was  with  us 
and  they  had  to  run  for  their  lives  and  we  ran  after 
them. 

Before  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State. — ^Reach- 
ing the  police  headquarters  we  were  presented  to  the 
Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State.  He,  after  reading 
the  documents,  told  one  of  his  officers  to  take  me  to  the 
*'xadrex."  (This  name  is  given  to  the  hold  or  place 
where  the  common  prisoners,  drunkards,  thieves  or  even 
murderers  are  kept  until  transferred  to  the  jail.)  My 
heart  failed  me  when  I  heard  what  he  said  and  I  in- 
quired of  him, 

* '  Tell  me,  Sir,  what  is  my  crime  ? '  * 

**Why,"  said  he,  ''don't  you  know  that  you  were  dis- 
respectful to  the  authorities  and  disturbed  the  public 
peace!     I  meekly  answered: 

**Sir,  I  was  pastor  of  a  church  here  in  Nictheroy  for 
a  long  time  and  have  preached  the  gospel  in  almost 
every  part  of  this  city  and  you  can  ask  any  of  your 
officials  if  I  ever  disturbed  the  public  peace  or  was  dis- 
respectful to  the  authorities  in  any  way." 

*'Do  you  mean  to  say  then,''  he  asked,  ''that  the 
Chief  of  San  Fidelis  lied  to  me  in  these  official  docu- 
ments?" 

I  answered  him  quite  innocently,  "Whether  he  lies 
to  you  officially  or  unofficially  I  cannot  say,  but  I  will 
tell  you  what  happened."  And  he  listened  patiently 
to  what  I  had  to  say,  but  when  I  had  finished  he  told 
the  officer  to  take  me  to  the  "xadrex."    Then  I  asked 


IN  CAMPOS   (1893-1900)  81 

him,  '*What  about  my  wife?  I  would  like  to  send 
her  to  some  friend,  as  this  city  is  now  a  military  camp." 
I  did  not  know  where  to  take  her.  He  called  a 
common 'soldier  and  told  him  to  take  charge  of  her,  but 
I  was  to  go  to  the  ''xadrex."  I  thanked  him  for  his 
offer,  but  told  him  that  my  wife  preferred  to  go  alone. 

We  parted  not  knowing  whether  or  not  we  would  be 
permitted  to  see  each  other  again  and  commending  each 
other  to  the  Lord,  we  separated. 

I  was  taken  to  the  ''xadrex."  That  xadrex  was  a 
horrible  place.  Imagine  a  small  room,  two  by  five 
yards,  with  windows  barred  and  opening  out  upon  a 
dirty  yard,  with  only  one  door  and  no  other  ventila- 
tion. In  this  room  there  must  have  been  huddled  to- 
gether at  least  forty  or  more  criminals.  The  stench 
that  assailed  my  nostrils,  when  the  jailor  took  me  to  that 
place,  was  awful  and  nearly  prostrated  me.  I  hesitated 
somewhat,  but  was  about  to  pass  the  door  when  the  Lord 
sent  me  one  of  his  angels  in  the  person  of  a  soldier  who 
was  a  believer.    Eecognizing  me  he  said, 

**  Pastor,  if  you  will  promise  me  that  you  will  not 
run  away  we  will  let  you  stay  in  the  hall  with  the  sol- 
diers.'^ You  can  imagine  how  readily  I  accepted  that 
offer  and  how  grateful  I  was  for  that  favor,  thanking 
my  heavenly  Father  for  that  kindness. 

Next  day  while  I  was  standing  at  the  gate  of  the 
police  station  I  saw  the  Portuguese  Consul,  a  personal 
friend  of  mine.  Calling  him,  I  explained  my  predica- 
ment and  asked  him  to  see  what  he  could  do  to  help 
me.  He  promised  to  try  his  best,  but  warned  me  that 
he  might  not  be  successful  as  the  Portuguese  were  sus- 
pected of  helping  the  navy  in  its  fight  against  the 
Brazilian  Eepublic. 


82  A  MISSIONAKY  ADVENTURE 

He  went  to  the  authorities  and  when  he  left,  the 
Lieutenant-Governor  sent  an  officer  to  take  me  to  the 
penitentiary,  where  I  was  to  be  kept  incommunicable 
as  a  dangerous  political  criminal.  "Why  they  did  not 
treat  me  as  they  did  a  great  many  political  antagonists 
I  can  only  attribute  to  the  good  mercy  of  our  heavenly 
Father.  The  way  they  got  rid  of  those  political  antag- 
onists was  to  place  a  soldier's  uniform  on  them  and 
put  them  on  the  beach  where  the  sailors  would  snip 
them  off  as  fast  as  they  made  their  appearance.  I 
suppose  'that  was  the  idea  the  Chief  of  Police  of  San 
Fidelis  had  when  he  sent  me  to  headquarters  as  a  dis- 
respector  of  authorities  and  disturber  of  the  public 
peace. 

Released  After  Ten  Days. — But  the  Lord  had  some 
work  for  me  yet.  My  good  wife,  brave  as  a  lion,  full 
of  faith  and  courage,  walked  through  the  streets  of 
Nictheroy  while  the  bombs  were  exploding  over  her 
head,  and  worked  until  she  reached  the  ear  of  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State.  After  midnight  on  the  tenth  night 
of  my  imprisonment,  he  sent  for  me  and  apologized 
for  what  had  taken  place,  declaring  that  it  was  all  a 
mistake  and  asked  me  to  overlook  the  affair  as  it  was 
entirely  due  to  the  revolution  that  was  then  raging  in 
that  part  of  the  land,  promising  to  look  after  me  as 
soon  as  things  became  normal  again. 

I  told  the  Governor  that  as  far  as  I  was  concerned 
I  had  nothing  to  say  and  personally  would  not  con- 
sider the  matter  any  further;  but  what  I  wished  to 
know  was  whether  I  could  return  to  San  Fidelis  and 
continue  the  preaching  of  the  gospel. 

He  then  said  to  me,  ''That  is  exactly  why  I  sent  for 
you.     We  want  you  to  do  us  a  favor.     Just  now  the 


IN  CAMPOS   (1893-1900)  83 

State  is  under  martial  law  and  every  Chief  of  Police 
has  full  power  in  his  hands.  Should  you  go  back  to 
San  Fidelis  before  this  revolution  is  over  we  would  have 
to  change  a  good  many  things  which  we  are  just  now 
unable  to  do.  If  you  will  do  us  the  favor  not  to  return 
to  that  city  until  the  revolution  is  over  we  will  then 
stand  by  you  and  see  that  you  receive  the  protection 
you  need. '  * 

I  answered  the  Governor,  *'A11  right,  Sir.  Since  it 
is  a  favor  you  ask,  I  cannot  refuse.  But  were  it  an 
order,  my  dear  Sir,  I  would  have  to  tell  you  what  I 
told  that  Chief  of  Police,  viz.:  That  as  a  Baptist  I 
do  not  accept  orders  in  matters  of  religion  from  any 
civil  authority." 

Starting  Again  in  San  Fidelis. — On  March  13,  1894, 
the  revolution  ended  with  the  surrender  of  the  fleet, 
and  on  the  twentieth  of  the  same  month  I  returned  to 
San  Fidelis.  Persecutions  continued  as  the  same 
authority  was  still  in  power. 

One  day  while  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  I  received  a  letter 
from  my  native  helper  telling  me  of  a  great  persecution 
that  had  taken  place  in  San  Fidelis  the  previous  Sun- 
day. Looking  up  I  saw  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  that 
State,  I  asked  him  if  he  remembered  me.  He  said 
''yes!'' 

''You  remember  the  promise  you  made  to  me  about 
San  Fidelis  V  "  Yes ! "  "  Well,  then  read  this  letter. ' ' 
He  read  it  and  asked  me  when  I  was  expecting  to  be 
in  that  city  and  I  told  him,  ' '  Next  Sunday. ' ' 

''Very  well,"  he  said,  "You  go  and  I  will  see  that 
you  are  fully  protected  in  your  mission." 

As  I  was  taking  the  train  on  Saturday  morning  I 
saw  a  group  of  about  fifty  soldiers  ready  to  embark 


84  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

for  San  Fidelis.  I  spoke  to  the  officer  in  charge,  and 
was  informed  that  they  were  going  to  defend  a  Prot- 
estant pastor  who  was  being  persecuted  by  a  Catholic 
politician.  All  those  soldiers,  he  told  me,  were  either 
Protestants  or  friendly  to  that  cause.  I  informed  him 
that  I  was  the  pastor  and  begged  him  not  to  let  the 
Chief  know  why  they  were  sent  and  to  await  develop- 
ments. What  I  asked  him  especially  was  to  avoid  the 
shedding  of  blood. 

Arriving  in  San  Fidelis  the  soldiers  presented  them- 
selves to  the  Chief,  who  thought  that  they  were  sent 
to  him  to  finish  up  the  Protestants.  On  Sunday  we 
had  our  usual  meeting.  At  the  evening  service  a  large 
group  of  persecutors  were  brought  into  town  by  the 
political  boss  to  finish  up  the  job,  now  that  they  had 
the  soldiers  to  help  them  as  they  thought.  You  can 
perhaps  better  imagine  their  surprise  when  they  real- 
ized that  the  soldiers  were  there  to  preserve  the  peace. 
And  to  understand  that  fact  some  of  them  returned 
to  their  homes  with  bad  bruises  and  cuts  and  some 
even  with  broken  limbs.  After  that  we  never  again 
were  disturbed. 

A  Missionary's  Revenge. — Before  finishing  this  story 
I  wish  to  tell  how  I  got  my  revenge  upon  that  Chief  of 
Police.  I  suppose  few  of  my  readers  would  think  that 
a  missionary  would  think  of  revenge,  but  I  do  and  I 
practice  it  pretty  often.  Just  read  it  and  see  how  we 
do  it  and  how  greatly  we  enjoy  that  part  of  our  game. 

Not  so  long  after  the  late  persecution  the  political 
party,  led  by  the  father  of  that  Chief,  lost  its  power 
and  he  and  his  family  lost  their  prestige.  The  opposi- 
tion boss  was  a  personal  friend  of  mine  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  his  was  a  member  of  our  church.     When  the 


IN  CAMPOS  (1893-1900)  85 

new  party  assumed  the  political  power,  I  asked  them 
for  only  one  favor  and  that  was  this : 

*^If  ever  that  Chief  of  Police  gets  in  trouble  or  prison 
let  me  know."  It  turned  out  that  during  the  elections, 
frauds  were  discovered  and  a  shooting  took  place  in  the 
very  hall  where  I  was  kept  a  prisoner  for  twenty-four 
hours,  and  three  were  left  dead.  The  Chief,  the  one 
who  had  me  imprisoned,  was  caught. 

The  day  following  I  received  a  telegram  advising 
me  of  the  fact  and  I  hastened  to  San  Fidelis  and  asked 
the  political  boss  (the  new  one)  to  turn  the  prisoner 
over  to  me  and  let  me  do  to  him  what  I  had  in  mind. 
The  man  was  afraid  that  I  might  take  justice  into  my 
own  hands,  but  I  assured  him  that  I  had  no  intention 
of  doing  that  man  any  harm,  and  if  he  wished  he  could 
come  along  and  see  what  I  intended  to  do.  With  a  per- 
mit of  release  in  my  hand  I  went  to  the  prison  and  told 
the  man  that  the  time  of  my  revenge  had  arrived  and 
that  it  gave  me  great  pleasure  to  restore  him  to  his  wife 
and  children.  He  certainly  was  dumbfounded  and  even 
forgot  to  thank  me.  He  went  home  and  the  next  day  disap- 
peared fearing  the  vengeance  of  others  worse  than  myself. 

Today  San  Fidelis  is  proudly  glorying  in  a  very 
prosperous  church.  One  well-to-do  merchant  was  con- 
verted and  made  a  present  of  a  choice  piece  of  prop- 
erty in  the  heart  of  the  city  on  which  to  build  a  church. 
A  brother  of  this  merchant,  a  rich  coffee  farmer,  gave 
me  the  necessary  means  to  build  a  chapel  that  stands 
today  as  a  monument  to  the  power  of  God  in  keeping 
his  servants  and  in  glorifying  himself  in  the  spreading 
of  the  Good  News.  In  spite  of  all  the  opposition  of  the 
power  of  darkness, 

'*The  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail." 


86  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

The  Work  of  a  Little  Bible. — '*My  father  has  a  book 
jnst  like  yours  and  he  has  been  reading  it  to  his  family 
almost  every  day;  would  you  not  like  to  meet  him?" 
This  was  put  up  to  me  by  a  young  lady  after  she  had 
listened  to  my  Sunday  evening  sermon  in  our  rented 
hall  in  the  city  of  Campos. 

I  had  noticed  her  and  her  close  attention.  As  soon 
as  the  meeting  was  over  I  hurried  to  the  door  .and  asked 
her  if  she  had  enjoyed  the  meeting  and  if  she  would 
like  to  have  a  talk  with  me  about  the  subject.  She 
came  into  the  hall  and  we  had  a  good  long  chat  about 
her  father  who  was  living  about  fifty  miles  away  from 
the  city,  on  a  large  farm,  and  who  she  said  would  be 
glad  to  see  me  and  talk  about  the  book  out  of  which 
I  was  preaching. 

On  reaching  the  farm  a  few  weeks  afterwards,  I 
found  an  elderly  man  awaiting  my  arrival  on  the  steps 
of  his  farm  house,  reading  out  of  a  well-worn  little 
Bible,  of  the  cheap  kind,  copies  of  which  we  used  to  sell 
for  about  ten  cents.  He  received  me  with  open  arms, 
embracing  me  in  a  real  Brazilian  fashion. 

The  farm  was  very  extensive  in  land,  but  greatly 
neglected  and  dilapidated.  Although  the  members  of 
the  family  were  very  numerous,  there  being  about  a 
dozen  children,  exclusive  of  sons-in-law,  daughters-in- 
law  and  grandchildren,  yet  due  to  slavery,  that  had 
been  abolished  only  a  few  j^ears  previous,  the  family 
had  not  learned  how  to  take  care  of  themselves  or  even 
look  after  their  own  welfare. 

The  old  man  practiced  real  Brazilian  hospitality  and 
treated  me  royally. 

One  of  the  first  things  I  asked  him  soon  after  my 
arrival  was,  ''How  did  that  little  Bible  come  into  your 


IN  CAMPOS   (1893-1900)  87 

possession?''  and  he  told  me  the  following  wonder- 
ful story.  I  will  give  it  to  you  just  as  he  told  it  to  me, 
though  it  will  be  impossible  for  me  to  describe  the  way 
he  told  it  and  the  tears  that  coursed  down  his  cheek  as 
he  related  some  of  the  most  touching  incidents. 

Faithfulness  of  a  Young  Colporter. — ''One  evening," 
he  said,  ' '  as  I  was  sitting  on  the  steps  of  this,  my  home, 
cooling  off  after  a  hot  and  hard  day  of  labor,  a  young 
man  walked  up,  carrying  a  satchel  on  his  shoulder  that 
seemed  to  be  very  heavy.  He  looked  tired  and  hungry 
and  in  a  very  humble  way  asked  me  for  a  night's  lodg- 
ing. I  immediately  told  him  that  he  was  very  welcome 
and  that  he  could  relieve  himself  of  the  heavy  load  he 
was  carrying  and  make  himself  at  home.  But  the  young 
man  came  up  a  little  closer  and  said : 

''  'Before  I  accept  your  offer  I  want  you  to  under- 
stand that  I  have  asked  this  same  favor  of  some  of 
your  neighbors  and  they  all  refused,  some  of  them  even 
threatening  me  with  their  dogs.'  " 

Astonished,  the  old  man  asked,  "What  can  be  your 
crime?"  The  Brazilians  are  a  very  hospitable  people 
and  only  a  great  criminal  is  refused  a  night's  lodg- 
ing. 

But  the  young  man  answered  me  quite  sincerely,  ''I 
am  not  a  criminal,  but  I  am  a  Protestant,  and  for  that 
reason  I  have  been  refused  hospitality." 

The  old  man  saw  the  point  immediately  and  repented 
having  offered  his  home,  for  he,  too,  had  been  warned 
not  to  have  anything  to  do  with  the  Protestants;  not 
to  take  them  into  his  home,  not  even  to  give  them  a 
glass  of  water  when  in  need.  But  he  did  not  like  to  go 
back  on  his  word  and  looking  at  the  young  man  and 


88  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

realizing  that  there  was  no  other  farm  near  he  had  pity 
on  him  and  told  him, 

''AH  right;  I  am  not  going  back  on  my  word  and 
you  can  find  yourself  a  sleeping  place  in  one  of  the 
barns.  But  tomorrow,  real  early,  before  sunrise,  you 
just  get  out  as  quietly  as  possible  and  let  no  one  see 
you.  I  do  not  want  anyone  to  know  that  I  have  har- 
bored a  Protestant  in  my  place  and  get  me  in  trouble 
with  the  priest. ' ' 

The  young  man  thanked  him  heartily  and  finding 
himself  a  corner  in  one  of  the  many  barns  that  were 
about  the  house  he  retired,  or,  as  the  farmer  put  it, 
''made  himself  scarce." 

Supper  time  came,  however,  and  while  the  farmer 
was  supping  his  hot  cup  of  coffee,  the  hungry  and 
haggard  face  of  the  poor  traveler  came  to  his  mind. 
Thinking  that  the  young  man  very  likely  had  not  had 
anything  to  eat  that  day,  he  told  one  of  his  sons  to 
invite  him  into  the  kitchen  for  a  cup  of  coffee.  The 
man  came  in  and  enjoyed  immensely  the  hot  cup  of 
coffee  and  bowl  of  farina  (a  vegetable  substance  made 
out  of  the  mandioca  root  and  after  proper  grinding  and 
roasting  is  used  as  food). 

Turning  to  the  old  man  he  said:  "I  am  very  grate- 
ful to  you  for  your  kindness  and  would  like  to  show 
you  my  appreciation  for  what  you  have  done,  for  you 
have,  no  doubt,  saved  my  life;  but  I  am  poor  and  un- 
able to  do  anything.  But,  if  you  have  no  objection, 
I  will  ask  our  heavenly  Father,  who  is  Almighty,  to 
bless  and  reward  you. ' ' 

The  Power  of  Prayer. — The  old  man  did  not  know 
what  he  wanted  to  do  and  curious  to  know  what  was 
going  to  happen  he  told  him  to  go  ahead.     The  col- 


IN  CAMPOS  (1893-1900)  89 

porter,  kneeling  down,  and  lifting  his  eyes  and  hands 
to  heaven,  invoked  a  touching  blessing  upon  the  man, 
upon  his  loved  ones  and  upon  all  that  were  near  and 
dear  to  him.  Every  time  the  farmer  told  that  story 
tears  would  stream  down  his  face.  He  had  never 
heard  a  man  pray. 

No  Catholic  knows  real  heart-to-heart  prayers. 
Usually  he  goes  to  mass  and  hears  the  priest  repeat 
phrases  in  Latin,  the  Lord's  Prayer  or  Hail  Mary,  with- 
out understanding  a  word.  Whenever  the  priest  stands 
up,  he  stands  up.  If  the  priest  smites  his  breast  or 
makes  the  sign  of  the  cross,  he  imitates  him.  That  was 
as  far  as  the  old  man's  religious  experience  would  go. 
But  when  he  heard  this  young  man  talk  with  God  and 
speak  to  him,  as  a  son  speaking  to  his  father,  it  was 
something  wonderful  to  him. 

The  colporter  went  to  his  barn  to  sleep  and  the 
farmer  went  to  his  room,  but  could  not  sleep.  That 
prayer  penetrated  his  heart  and  made  him  wonder  if, 
after  all,  the  Protestants  did  not  have  something  that 
he  had  never  dreamed  of.  Early  before  sunrise  he 
stood  watching  the  entrance  to  that  barn.  When,  at 
last,  the  young  man  came  forth  ready  for  his  journey, 
the  farmer  asked  him  to  go  into  the  dining  hall  for 
another  cup  of  coffee  before  his  leaving. 

As  soon  as  he  had  finished  his  cup  of  coffee  the  farmer 
asked  him  to  teach  him  that  prayer  of  the  previous  day. 
The  colporter  informed  him  that  those  prayers  were 
not  printed  but  offered  extempore,  just  as  a  child  would 
speak  to  his  own  father. 

**Well,  then,"  said  the  farmer,  *' please  pray  again 
and  ask  the  heavenly  Father  for  a  blessing  upon  me 
and  my  loved  ones." 


90  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

The  colporter  readily  acceded  to  that  request.  In 
the  presence  of  all,  kneeling  down,  he  offered  a  very- 
touching  prayer  asking  the  Lord  to  bless  and  open 
the  eyes  of  all  present  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 
When  he  had  finished  there  were  very  few  dry  eyes 
and  the  old  man  begged  him  to  write  that  prayer 
down  and  let  him  learn  it  by  heart.  But  the  young 
man  told  him  that  he  had  something  better  for  him 
and  that  was  a  book  that  would  teach  him  how  to 
speak  to  his  Father  in  heaven.  He  gave  him  that  little 
Bible,  marking  several  chapters  for  him  to  read. 

As  soon  as  the  old  man  got  hold  of  that  book  he 
began  reading  it.  First  he  read  the  parts  marked  by 
the  colporter,  then  the  whole  book  from  cover  to  cover. 
First  he  read  it  by  himself  then  called  his  wife  and 
children.  Then  I  arrived  on  that  farm  and  after  spend- 
ing a  few  weeks,  teaching  and  preaching  I  baptized 
and  organized  a  church  of  over  fifty  believers. 

Oh,  the  zeal  of  those  converts!  There  were  young 
girls  of  not  more  than  twelve  or  thirteen  years  of  age 
that  would  walk,  ten,  fifteen  and  even  as  many  as 
thirty  miles,  to  invite  some  friend  or  relative  to  the 
meeting.  Today,  we  have  in  that  district  a  chain  of 
churches,  self-supporting,  spiritual  and  powerful  cen- 
ters for  God  and  righteousness. 

Persecution  in  Macahe. — ^About  fifty  miles  south  of 
Campos,  along  the  railroad  and  near  the  Atlantic 
Coast,  is  the  city  of  Macahe,  a  strong  business  center 
with  a  population  of  about  fifteen  or  perhaps  twenty 
thousand  persons.  It  is  a  pretty  little  town,  the  prin- 
cipal one  of  the  county,  and  which  is  one  of  the 
richest  in  the  State,  boasting  of  sugar  cane  fields  as 
well  as  rice  fields  and  other  valuable  products.     The 


IN  CAMPOS  (1893-1900)  91 

political  boss  of  that  section  was  a  scion  of  an  old 
aristocratic  family,  owner  of  extensive  tracts  of  land, 
as  well  as  of  a  beautiful  castle  right  opposite  the  rail- 
road station,  commanding  a  view  of  the'  whole  town. 
One  of  the  sons  of  that  family  was  Federal  Senator 
and  another  was  owner  and  chief  editor  of  the  local 
paper.  Every  political  position  of  importance  was 
occupied  by  one  or  another  relative  of  that  family.  Old 
aristocrats,  their  religion  was  Catholicism  and  no  other 
faith  had  been  allowed  to  enter  the  town  or  community. 

After  much  prayer  I  decided  to  move  a  family  of  be- 
lievers from  Campos  to  Macahe,  whose  relatives  lived 
in  Macahe.  That  man  was  Brother  Antonio  Maia,  who 
was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  now  a  good  preacher  of  the 
gospel.  He  had  been  tried  and  proved  a  strong  be- 
liever and  faithful  Christian.  "We  rented  a  place  for 
him  in  Macahe  where  he  not  only  could  work  at  his 
trade  but  also  could  have  a  home  for  his  rather  large 
family  and  furnish  us  with  a  hall  to  preach  in.  His 
place  was  not  in  the  heart  of  the  city,  nor  very  attrac- 
tive, but  it  gave  us  a  beginning,  an  entering  wedge. 

Persecutions  began  immediately.  The  politicians, 
though  not  in  person  like  those  in  San  Fidelis,  but, 
nevertheless  with  their  approval,  began  the  attack. 
I  was  subjected  to  all  kinds  of  persecutions.  The 
articles  published  against  me  and  against  the  cause  of 
Christ  were  so  vile  and  so  low  that  I  had  to  call  the 
editor  to  the  courts,  asking  the  judge  to  make  him 
produce  the  original  so  that  a  suit  of  slander  could  be 
brought  against  him.  The  editor,  however,  had  the 
article  signed  by  one  of  the  vilest  characters  in  town 
and  when  presented  I  informed  the  judge  that  I  was 
perfectly    satisfied,    as    insults    coming    from    such    a 


92  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

source  was  an  honor.    I  paid  the  cost  and  left  the  court. 

Conversion  of  8r.  Curindyha. — But  the  greater  the 
persecution  the  more  abundant  usually  are  the  results. 
Souls  were  being  saved  and  it  was  not  long  until  a 
very  live,  spiritual  church  was  organized  and  an  ex- 
cellent hall  rented  in  one  of  the  principal  streets  of 
the  town.  Means  were  being  gathered  also  for  a  build- 
ing in  which  the  church  was  to  establish  its  working 
center. 

One  thing  that  helped  wonderfully  was  the  con- 
version of  one  of  the  most  dangerous  characters  of  the 
district,  a  man  used  by  the  politicans  to  terrorize 
the  people,  especially  on  election  days;  a  man  whom 
the  police  were  afraid  to  oppose  as  he  was  protected 
by  the  political  faction  or  rather  family. 

This  man  lived  near  our  preaching  hall  and  was 
the  father  of  two  beautiful  little  girls.  His  wife  and  the 
two  children  began  coming  to  the  meetings  and  the  two 
girls  became  very  fond  of  our  hymns  and  great  friends 
of  mine.  "When  the  preaching  place  was  moved  into 
the  larger  hall,  they  also  came,  though  the  father 
would  not  enter  on  any  condition. 

One  day  he  found  out  that  the  Catholics  had  re- 
solved to  break  up  our  meeting.  The  plan  was  for 
some  of  the  persecutors  to  enter  the  hall  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  service  begin  a  disturbance,  then  break 
the  lamps  and  destroy  everything  and  everybody  they 
could  lay  their  hands  on.  He  did  not  tell  me  a  word 
about  it,  but  asked  some  of  his  companions  to  be  on 
hand.  When  the  persecutors  arrived  he  just  told  them : 
''You  may  go  in,  but  remember  my  wife  and  children 
are  in  there  and  woe  betide  you  if  anything  should 


IN  CAMPOS  (1893-1900)  93 

happen  to  them.  You  can  go  in,  but  I  do  not  guarantee 
that  you  will  come  out  alive. ' ' 

Of  course  that  frightened  most  of  them  away  and 
not  one  of  the  persecuting  group  entered.  One,  how- 
ever, a  tall,  strong  looking  fellow  stood  at  the  door 
waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  do  something.  I  hap- 
pened to  be  giving  a  simple  and  plain  gospel  message 
when  this  fellow  began  shouting:  ''I  protest!  I  pro- 
test!" But  he  could  say  very  little  more,  for  before 
he  really  knew  what  had  happened  to  him,  he  was 
lying  in  the  middle  of  the  street  with  his  throat 
scratched,  enough  to  make  him  realize  the  danger  he 
was  in.  Whoever  did  it  has  not  been  known  to  this 
day,  but  it  was  after  this  incident  that  the  father  of 
those  girls  began  to  come  into  our  meetings  and  before 
long  surrendered  to  the  Lord  and  it  was  my  privilege 
to  baptize  him  as  well  as  his  wife.  Today  this  man 
is  a  great  worker  for  the  Master. 

Starting  All  Over  Again, — ^With  the  conversion  of 
this  man  persecutions  more  or  less  ceased,  and,  after 
locating  a  competent  native  helper  in  this  place  I  began 
looking  around  for  another  important  center  to  open 
up  for  the  Master  when  I  was  suddenly  called  back  to 
Macahe  on  account  of  a  new  and  this  time  a  more 
dangerous  persecution.  The  cause  of  it  was  a  very 
simple  thing. 

The  native  pastor,  a  young  but  very  zealous 
preacher,  had  been  found  on  his  knees  praying  in  a 
bedroom,  with  the  wife  and  daughter  of  a  man  who 
was  very  bitter  against  the  gospel.  This  man,  taking 
advantage  of  the  occasion,  immediately  went  into  the 
street  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  ''Come  and  see 
where  I  found  the  Protestant  preacher;  in  my  bed- 


94  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

room  with  my  wife."  Though  everyone  knew  that  the 
native  pastor  would  be  incapable  of  committing  any- 
thing immoral,  yet  it  was  taken  up  by  the  enemies  and 
a  new  persecution  broke  out  that  threatened  to  anni- 
hilate the  whole  work.  This  obliged  my  return  to  the 
city  where  I  had  to  start  the  work  almost  anew. 

The  Catholics  hired  the  man  who  had  signed  that 
vile  article  against  the  cause  to  which  I  referred  above 
to  persecute  us.  A  more  brutal,  vile  and  degraded 
creature  could  not  be  found  anywhere.  He  was  paid 
to  do  all  that  his  low  and  degraded  mind  could  imagine 
and  he  certainly  did  invent  some  of  the  most  devilish 
tricks  against  us. 

One  thing  that  I  was  determined  to  do  was  to  keep 
up  our  open-air  meetings  and  thus  reach  the  people. 
It  was  this  very  thing  that  the  Catholic  group  were 
resolved  to  oppose  at  any  cost.  Every  time  I  would 
hold  a  meeting  in  the  public  square,  this  vile  character 
and  his  drunken  companions  would  come  and  howl  in 
favor  of  the  other  religion.  Of  course,  as  long  as  he 
howled  I  could  not  preach,  I  had  to  keep  quiet  and 
would  ask  the  believers  to  sing  a  hymn.  Then  he 
would  come  very  close  to  my  face  and  with  a  tobacco 
and  alcoholic  stench  coming  from  his  toothless  mouth 
would  begin  to  yell.  Often  I  was  tempted  to  try  my 
knuckles  on  his  face,  but  instead  I  asked  the  Lord  to 
keep  my  fist  quiet,  for  it  was  just  that  that  they 
wanted.  It  would  then  give  them  the  opportunity  they 
were  looking  for  to  justify  their  attacks  upon  us. 

Prohibited  to  Preach. — However,  some  brother 
Masons  could  not  tolerate  this  persecution.  Not  being 
obliged  to  respect  the  Catholic  group  as  we  were  ob- 
liged to,  they  resolved  to  teach  them  a  lesson  and  one 


IN  CAMPOS   (1893-1900)  95 

night  had  a  good  fist  fight,  breaking  some  Catholic 
noses  and  heads.  I  was  very  sorry  when  I  heard  what 
had  happened,  for  I  knew  that  it  would  stir  the  Catho- 
lics up  to  yet  greater  persecutions. 

The  Sunday  following  I  was  about  to  hold  my  reg- 
ular open-air  meeting  in  the  Public  Square  when  I 
received  notice  from  the  Chief  of  Police  prohibiting 
me  from  holding  the  meeting.  I  asked  him  why  and 
he  informed  me  that  it  was  to  prevent  the  shedding 
of  blood.  I  asked  him  who  gave  him  the  right  to 
prohibit  me  from  shedding  my  blood  for  the  cause  I 
represented,  or  to  show  me  at  least  one  clause  of  the 
Constitution  or  Civil  Law,  if  he  could. 

I  knew  that  he  could  not,  and  I  protested  that  I 
would  take  the  cause  to  the  Governor  of  the  State 
and  that  if  he  approved  of  his  action,  to  expect  me 
back  ready  to  take  me  to  prison,  for  I  was  determined 
to  preach  the  gospel  on  the  Public  Square  as  the 
Brazilian  Constitution  gave  me  the  right  to  do. 

The  fact  was  that  the  Catholics  had  arranged  from 
the  surrounding  district  for  a  group  of  about  150 
bandits,  to  come  on  horseback  to  finish  once  and  for 
all  the  Protestant  propaganda  in  Macahe.  The  Chief 
of  Police,  unable  to  protect  me,  had  resolved  to  pro- 
hibit both  meetings — mine  and  the  Catholics — ^but  I 
did  not  like  to  be  classified  in  the  same  category  as  the 
law-breaking  element  and  naturally  protested.  I  told 
the  Chief  that  he  ought  to  stop  the  persecutors  but 
not  the  preacher. 

I  asked  Dr.  Bagby  to  accompany  me,  and  we  went 
to  the  capital  of  the  State  to  see  the  Governor.  He 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  Eepublicans,  a  signer  of  the 
Republican   Constitution   and    a  thorough   gentleman. 


96  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

He  received  us  cordially  and  went  over  all  the  details 
of  the  disturbance  as  I  presented  them  to  him  and  he 
assured  me  that  he  would  stand  by  us  and  that  we 
could  return  to  Macahe  and  hold  our  meetings  accord- 
ing to  the  dictates  of  our  conscience. 

On  my  way  back  to  Campos  I  stopped  over  at 
Macahe  and  asked  the  Chief  of  Police  if  the  prohibi- 
tion against  my  meetings  continued  and  he  answered 
in  the  affirmative.  I  told  him  that  I  had  seen  the 
Governor  and  that  he  should  be  ready  to  take  me  to 
prison  on  the  next  Sunday,  as  I  would  be  back  then 
determined  to  hold  the  meeting. 

When  I  reached  Campos  I  telegraphed  to  the  Gov- 
ernor more  or  less  in  the  following  words:  *' Passing 
through  Macahe  I  saw  Chief  of  Police,  who  affirms 
that  my  meetings  are  still  prohibited,  but  I,  trusting 
in  your  promises,  will  be  in  Macahe  next  Sunday  to 
hold  my  meeting  in  the  Public  Square.  Please  look 
into  this  affair.'* 

Complete  yictory. — Sunday  I  reached  the  town  about 
two  0  'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  I  brought  bills  with  me 
announcing  a  meeting  for  four  o'clock  in  the  Public 
Square.  The  Governor  had  sent  a  very  severe  tele- 
gram to  the  Chief  that  was  published  in  all  the  daily 
papers  and  contained  the  following : 

''You  cannot  prohibit  the  meetings  of  the  Rev.  Solo- 
mon L.  Ginsburg  on  any  or  whatever  pretext.  If  you 
have  not  enough  forces  to  protect  him  in  the  exercise 
of  the  right  that  our  Constitution  gives  him,  you  can 
call  upon  us  and  we  will  place  at  your  disposal  all  the 
military  forces  of  the  State;  and  if,  peradventure, 
those  are  not  sufficient,  I  will  see  to  it  that  all  the 


IN  CAMPOS   (1893-1900)  97 

Federal  forces  are  placed  at  your  disposal,  but  the 
Constitution  must  be  upheld. ' ' 

That  was  a  bitter  pill  for  the  Chief  to  swallow,  but 
it  taught  him  to  do  his  duty.  At  four  o'clock  the 
Square  was  crowded  with  over  5,000  people.  Our  be- 
lievers numbered  only  about  twenty-five.  As  soon  as  I 
stood  up  to  speak  the  Catholic  group  began  its  usual 
howling  process  close  to  where  our  group  stood.  Then 
the  Chief  appeared  with  only  a  dozen  soldiers,  but  all 
had  loaded  guns.  He  spoke  to  the  leader  of  the  op- 
position group  to  move  to  another  part  of  the  square 
alleging  that  he  was  disturbing  our  meeting.  The 
leader  began  to  harangue  and  to  call  upon  his  com- 
panions to  protest. 

The  Chief  only  said:  '* Soldiers,  prepare  arms!'* 

That  was  enough.  The  group  cleared  the  square 
and  we  were  left  in  peace.  I  preached  for  over  an 
hour  and  ever  afterwards  the  meetings  were  held  in 
comparative  peace.  Today  we  have  in  Macahe  a 
strong,  self-supporting  spiritual  church,  a  center  for 
many  other  churches  in  the  rich  surrounding  district. 
Had  we  given  in  at  Macahe  we  could  not  have  done 
anything  more  in  that  part  of  the  State. 

Rumors  of  Assassination. — A  very  comical  thing 
happened  in  connection  with  this  persecution.  One 
daily  paper  in  Campos,  received  information  that  I  had 
been  assassinated  and  placed  the  rumor  on  the  black- 
board in  front  of  its  offices.  Some  brethren  saw  it 
and  wondered  if  my  wife  knew  anything  about  it.  So 
they  resolved  to  send  one  man  to  inquire.  It  was  late 
in  the  evening  and  he  found  Mrif  Ginsburg  ready  to 
retire  and  he  very  delicately  inquired  if  she  had  re- 
ceived  any   news   from   me.      She   thought    it   rather 


98  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

strange  that  he  should  come  out  at  such  a  late  hour, 
but  she  encouraged  him  by  saying  that  she  was  sure  I 
was  all  right. 

This  man,  not  a  believer,  though  a  very  honest  and 
well-meaning  friend,  resolved  to  telegraph  to  me  and 
and  he  did  it  in  the  following  terms: 

**It  is  rumored  here  that  you  are  assassinated; 
please  inform  me  if  it  is  true."  I  telegraphed  to  him 
that  the  rumor  was  rather  exaggerated;  that  it  was 
true  I  had  gone  through  a  very  trying  time,  but  that 
the  Lord  had  delivered  me  from  the  hands  of  the 
assassin  and  that  soon  I  would  be  there  to  tell  him  all 
about  it. 

The  Power  of  the  Printed  Page. — ^Almost  as  soon  as 
I  established  myself  in  Campos,  I  tried  to  make  the 
best  possible  use  of  the  printed  page.  Dr.  Z.  C.  Tay- 
lor maintained  a  small  press  in  Bahia,  publishing  a 
monthly  eight-page  paper.  In  Baptist  literature  we 
had  almost  nothing,  except  Dr.  S.  H.  Ford's  Origin 
and  History  of  Baptists,  in  a  very  poorly  translated 
edition. 

I  had  no  available  means  for  that  kind  of  work, 
but  saving  some  from  the  meager  salary,  exchange 
being  rather  favorable,  I  managed  to  buy  a  few  cases 
of  type  and  a  small  press  and  began  the  publication 
of  a  paper  called  ''The  Good  News."  At  first  it  was 
published  monthly,  but  soon  it  became  fortnightly 
and  for  one  year  it  was  published  every  week.  Later 
the  Lord  enabled  me  to  buy,  at  an  auction,  a  large 
French  cylinder  press  for  very  little  money,  which, 
after  being  cleaned  and  properly  oiled  became  an  ex- 
cellent help  to  the  work  as  well  as  a  means  of  income, 
as  I  rented  it  out  for  night  work.     That  brought  me 


IN  CAMPOS  (1893-1900)  99 

in  money  enough  to  pay  the  printers  and  enabled  me 
to  run  the  paper  for  a  good  while  at  almost  no  ex- 
pense. 

With  this  press  I  was  able  to  publish  a  series  of 
doctrinal  and  evangelistic  tracts,  and  keep  up  a  dis- 
cussion through  the  daily  press,  both  with  the  Jesuits 
and  Spiritualists. 

I  hajd  a  very  simple  way  of  utilizing  the  printed 
page.  To  teachers,  judges,  police  authorities,  priests, 
etc.,  etc.,  I  would  send  the 'paper  asking  them  not  only 
to  read  it,  but,  if  they  so  desired,  to  send  for  other 
literature,  especially  for  a  copy  of  the  Bible.  It  was 
wonderful  how  the  people  availed  themselves  of  -this 
offer.  From  the  priests  alone  would  come  all  kinds 
of  insults.  Some  of  them  would  return  the  paper  all 
covered  with  insulting  terms.  Others  would  write 
begging  me  not  to  send  the  paper  to  them,  but  out 
of  the  2,500  copies  distributed  every  week,  few  would 
come  back.  The  results  were  really  beyond  expecta- 
tions. The  seed  sown  brought  forth  abundant  har- 
vest. 

One  source  of  good  results  was  our  own  hymn  book, 
called  *  *  Cantor  Christao. ' '  I  started  that  book  while  in 
Pernambuco,  even  before  becoming  a  Baptist.  The 
first  edition  was  a  small  leaflet  containing  16  hymns. 
The  first  one  *I  ever  translated  into  the  Portuguese 
language  was  that  inspiring  one:  ''Showers  of  Bless- 
ings." The  native  believers  took  to  my  hymns  gladly, 
which  encouraged  me  greatly.  It  did  me  good  to  hear 
them  sing  those  beautiful  gospel  songs  in  their  homes, 
in  the  work-shops  and  even  as  they  were  walking 
along  the  streets.  Today  we  have  a  hymn  book  con- 
taining about  600  hymns. 


100  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Organizing  the  First  Church  in  the  Amazon  Valley. — 
Through  the  little  paper,  *'The  Good  News/*  I  got  in 
touch  with  Brother  E.  A.  Nelson,  who  was  working 
heroically  in  the  Amazon  Valley,  trying  to  preach  and 
support  himself  and  family  by  the  sale  of  books.  Sev- 
eral times  he  urged  me  to  make  him  a  visit  and 
help  him  organize  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  that  re- 
gion as  he  himself  was  not  an  ordained  minister 
then. 

Needing  a  change  and  a  little  rest  I  resolved,  with 
the  permission  and  help  of  our  Board  in  Richmond, 
to  make  a  visit  to  that  region.  At  that  time  from 
Rio  de  Janeiro  to  Para  we  spent  about  seventeen  days 
on  the  sea.  Today  the  voyage  can  be  made  in  about 
twelve  days  or  less. 

The  change  of  air  and  the  absolute  rest  on  board 
the  vessel  did  me  a  great  deal  of  good  and  when  I 
reached  Para,  I  was  ready  for  work  again. 

I  found  Brother  Nelson  and  his  good  wife  in  great 
difficulties.  He  was  living  in  a  basement,  having  trans- 
formed the  front  part  into  a  preaching  hall.  The 
benches  were  made  of  boxes  in  which  had  been  shipped 
the  Bibles  from  the  Bible  Society.  Next  to  the  front 
room  was  a  dark  room  with  no  windows  which  was 
Brother  Nelson's  bedroom,  where  he,  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren slept.  No  wonder  that  both  he  and  his  wife 
had  suffered  a  double  siege  of  yellow  fever  and  the 
surprise  to  me  was  that  they  had  not  died.  Behind 
that  room  was  the  kitchen  transformed  into  a  dining 
and  guest's  sleeping  room,  where  I  passed  the  days 
I  spent  with  him.  Fortunately  I  passed  most  of  the 
time  in  a  neighboring  park.  It  is  a  mystery  to  me  yet 
how   I   escaped  yellow  fever   and   slept   those   eleven 


IN  CAMPOS   (1893-1900)  101 

nights  in  that  place.  Of  course  it  was  the  Lord's  do- 
ing for  he  took  care  of  me. 

Every  night  we  had  blessed  meetings.  Brother  Nel- 
son possesses  a  voice  that  can  be  heard  for  miles. 
He  was  once  upon  a  time  a  cowboy  and  when  he  lets 
his  lungs  function  he  can  make  himself  heard  far 
away.  At  a  convention  in  Kio  I  once  suggested  that 
to  evangelize  South  America  all  that  was  needed  was 
to  place  Brother  Nelson  on  top  of  the  Andes  and  let 
him  preach.  He  drew  the  crowds,  especially  when  he 
played  his  fiddle  and  sang  some  of  his  hymns,  com- 
posed by  himself  or  rather  translated  by  him.  We  had 
several  conversions  and  it  was  my  privilege  to  bap- 
tize for  the  first  time  in  history  some  converts  in  the 
great  Amazon  River  and  then  organize  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church  of  that  region.  After  the  organization  of 
the  church  Brother  Nelson  was  called  to  the  pastorate 
and  the  nearest  Baptist  church,  which  was  then  in 
Pernambuco,  a  distance  of  about  2,000  miles,  was 
asked  to  ordain  him  to  the  ministry. 

Ordination  of  Brother  E.  A.  Nelson. — A  few  weeks 
afterwards  while  passing  through  Pernambuco  I  found 
Brother  Nelson  awaiting  my  arrival.  The  church  in 
Pernambuco  had  called  a  Council  of  which  Dr.  W.  E. 
Entzminger,  the  missionary  in  charge  of  the  field,  was 
moderator.  Brother  Nelson  was  examined  in  the  doc- 
trine and  found  to  be  correct  and  the  church  voted  in 
favor  of  his  ordination.  That  was  a  never-to-be-for- 
gotten occasion  and  a  blessed  privilege. 

Brother  Nelson  was  sent  back  to  the  Amazon  Val- 
ley rejoicing.  The  work  he  has  done  ever  since  in 
that  extensive  field,  attests  th<^  correctness  of  our  ac- 
tion  and  recommendation.     The  Board  in  Richmond 


102  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

accepted  our  request,  and  Brother  Nelson  was  ap« 
pointed  missionary  of  our  Board.  Today  his  name 
as  the  *' Apostle  of  the  Amazon  Valley"  is  known  all 
over  our  Southland,  and  truly  no  one,  that  knows  him, 
and  the  great  work  he  has  accomplished  in  that  vast 
region  can  deny  him  that  title. 

Another  Attempt  at  Assassinadion. — On  my  return 
from  the  Amazon  Valley  I  stopped  over  with  Brother 
Entzminger,  and  held  special  meetings  both  at  the  Recife 
and  the  Nazareth  Churches.  In  Nazareth  the  meetings 
were  well  attended  every  night,  but  the  majority  of 
the  people,  intimidated  by  the  local  priest,  were  afraid 
to  come  into  our  spacious  hall.  To  be  able  to  reach 
those  I  thoug:ht  it  best  to  hold  an  open-air  meeting  and 
announced  one  for  the  following  Sunday  afternoon  in 
the  public  street.    Here  began  our  troubles. 

We  had  a  very  active  church  and  some  of  the  mem- 
bers belonged  to  the  best  families  of  the  town.  The 
city,  though  not  very  large,  was  considered  one  of  the 
most  important  in  the  State,  both  intellectually  as  well 
as  financially.  The  county,  of  which  Nazareth  was 
the  seat,  was  considered  the  richest  and  most  important. 
Unfortunately  the  spiritual  life  of  the  church  was  not 
then  at  the  very  highest.  Some  difficulties  had  arisen 
and  some  of  the  best  members  had  been  found  want- 
ing. 

My  object  in  holding  the  open-air  meeting  was  to 
get  the  ear  of  the  people  and  to  tell  them  something  of 
the  power  of  God  to  save,  as  well  as  to  hold,  those  who 
were  really  saved. 

The  priest  found  it  a  good  occasion  to  show  his 
power  and,  in  combination  with  the  leading  authori- 
ties of  the  place,  arranged  with  a  bandit  to  assassinate 


IN  CAMPOS   (1893-1900)  103 

me  while  I  was  preaching  in  the  open  air.  On  the 
day  I  was  to  preach,  the  priest  and  all  the  police  au- 
thorities, even  the  soldiers  left  the  city ;  the  public  pros- 
ecutor and  all  the  judges  went  away  so  that  I  would 
have  no  one  to  appeal  to  and  the  assassin  could  accom- 
plish his  job  without  being  hindered. 

I  was  warned  and  relatives  of  some  of  the  better 
members,  begged  me  not  to  hold  the  meeting,  as  it 
might  endanger  our  lives  and  the  lives  of  some  of  the 
families.  But  I  would  not  desist.  I  knew  perfectly 
well  what  it  would  mean  to  desist  after  announcing 
such  a  meeting.  The  enemy  would  think  that  we  were 
afraid  and  the  news  of  our  fear  would  spread  far  and 
wide  and  would  make  it  very  difficult  to  hold  open-air 
meetings  in  other  places.  I  preferred  dying  to  run- 
ning away.  Then,  also,  I  knew  that  my  heavenly 
Father  was  able  to  take  care  of  me  and  if  he  thought 
it  best  for  me  to  lay  down  my  life  then  and  there,  who 
was  I  to  run  away?  I  was  determined  to  hold  the 
meeting  even  if  I  had  to  go  alone. 

At  the  appointed  time  I  was  at  the  place  and,  I  may 
add,  very  few  of  the  believers  were  absent,  though 
most  of  them  knew  that  they  were  risking  their  lives. 
Brother  Entzminger  was  there  and  with  his  strong  and 
splendid  voice,  sang  those  beautiful  gospel  hymns  of 
Zion,  filling  the  street  with  the  blessed  gospel  news. 
All  the  windows,  however,  around  about  the  place, 
were  closely  fastened,  although  we  knew  that  ears  were 
pressed  to  every  one  of  them,  awaiting  the  beginning 
of  the  fight. 

I  began  my  sermon  and  preached  about  the  various 
doctrines  the  Baptists  believe.  I  spoke  for  about  an 
hour,  expecting  every  minute  for  some  one  to  start  the 


104  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

persecution,  but  nothing  happened.  I  was  beginning 
to  get  disappointed.  After  speaking  for  about  an  hour, 
I  asked  the  brethren  to  sing  another  hymn  and  then 
started  anew,  this  time  attacking  the  Church  of  Rome 
in  all  of  its  teachings.  I  explained  about  Purgatory, 
attacked  the  confessional,  showed  the  results  of  Celi- 
bacy, and  so  on.  But  nothing  happened  and  I  finished 
the  meeting  cruelly  disappointed. 

What  had  happened?  A  very  simple  thing.  The 
priest  in  withdrawing  every  civil  authority  from  the 
place  had  forgotten  to  remove  King  Alcohol,  one  of 
his  best  allies.  The  poor  fellow  who  was  bought  to 
accomplish  the  job,  needed  courage,  and  to  obtain 
that,  he  went  to  drinking  and  once  started  on  that 
track  he  overdid  it,  for  drink  over-powered  him  and 
put  him  to  sleep.  Here  is  one  good  job  King  Alcohol 
accomplished,  saving  my  life.  When  he  awoke  from 
his  sleep  the  open-air  meeting  was  over  and  he  had 
missed  his  opportunity.  The  poor  fellow  was  so  im- 
pressed with  that  happening,  that  he  began  to  fre- 
quent the  meetings  and  two  months  afterwards  made 
his  public  profession  of  faith,  and,  with  tears  stream- 
ing down  his  face,  told  the  church  what  had  happened 
on  that  memorable  day. 

Several  years  afterwards  this  same  man,  having 
joined  the  State  militia,  was  sent  to  Limoeirio  to  pro- 
tect my  life,  then  being  threatened  by  a  band  of  eighty 
assassins,  and  how  wonderfully  he  gave  an  account  of 
himself  looking  after  me  day  and  night,  not  allowing 
any  suspicious  character  to  get  near  me. 

Yes,  our  Lord  still  reigns  and  is  able  to  care  for 
those  who  trust  in  him.    Blessed  be  his  name/ 


CHAPTER  V 

IN   PERNAMBUCO    (1900-1909) 

Conditions  of  Work  in  1900. — Baptist  work  in  the 
Pernambuco  field  was  really  organized  in  1892.  A 
small  church  had  been  organized  by  Dr.  Z.  C.  Taylor 
and  C.  D.  Daniel  in  that  city  before  that  time,  but  its 
spiritual  condition  was  so  low  that  it  was  practically 
dead.  "When  Dr.  Entzminger  and  myself  went  there 
to  see  what  could  be  done  to  place  the  work  in  order 
the  organization  was  dissolved  and  out  of  a  group  of 
sixty  or  more  only  eleven  were  kept  and  the  present 
First  Church  organized. 

Brother  Entzminger  took  hold  of  this  small  but 
valiant  group  of  believers  and  built  up  a  great  and 
lasting  work.  He  spread  the  truth  far  and  wide  and 
established  churches  and  preaching  places  that  have 
stood  the  test  of  time.  One  of  the  things  that  helped 
the  Baptist  cause  in  that  State  more  than  any  other 
during  Brother  Entzminger 's  period,  was  a  discussion 
in  the  daily  press  with  one  of  the  leading  Catholic 
priests.  The  discussion  was  about  the  Apocryphal 
Books  and  Brother  Entzminger  gained  a  signal  vic- 
tory. He  not  only  proved  to  the  satisfaction  of  all, 
that  the  Apocryphal  books  were  not  canonical,  but 
also  established  the  fact  that  the  Baptist  ministry  was 
not  ignorant  and  backward. 

Another    characteristic    of    Dr.    Entzminger 's    min- 

105 


106  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

istry  was  the  evangelistic  spirit  he  infused  into  the 
believers.  Due  to  that,  Baptist  principles  and  ideals 
spread  rapidly  into  a  good  many  new  places,  villages 
and  districts.  Every  believer  was  like  a  torch-bearer 
and  the  gospel  was  entering  into  places  where  the 
Lord's  Name  and  Saving  Power  were  completely  un- 
known. It  was  this  fact  that  stirred  up  bitter  and 
unheard  of  persecutions.  Church  edifices  were  burned, 
believers  were  flogged  and  their  homes  burned  over 
their  heads. 

In  some  places  the  persecutors  would  break  into 
the  home  of  the  believer  and  turn  every  one  out  of 
their  beds  and  into  the  yard.  There  masked  ruffians, 
each  one  with  a  leather  whip,  would  stand  in  line.  The 
believer,  man,  woman  or  child  would  be  forced  to  pass 
through  the  lines  while  each  ruffian  would  strike  at 
the  poor  victim  who  many  a  time  would  faU  almost 
lifeless  at  their  feet.  In  one  farm  house  they  found 
the  lady  of  the  house  in  bed  just  a  week  after  child- 
birth. They  cut  the  hammock  in  which  the  innocent 
baby  was  asleep  and  let  it  drop  to  the  ground  killing 
it,  and  the  poor  mother  was  forced  into  the  yard  and 
made  to  pass  through  a  double  row  of  bandits,  each 
one  striking  as  hard  as  he  could  on  her  almost  naked 
body. 

These  persecutions  instead  of  diminishing  the 
growth  of  the  kingdom  helped  it  on.  Many  of  the 
persecutors  who  took  part  in  these  crimes  could  not 
help  admiring  the  testimony  and  marvelous  faith  of 
the  Christians.  Today  some  of  the  worst  persecutors 
are  leading  members  in  some  of  our  Baptist  churches 
in  tliat  great  field. 

Unfortunately,    however,    the    health    of    the    mis- 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  107 

sionaries  gave  way  under  the  strain  of  such  trying 
times.  Mrs.  Entzminger  was  almost  given  up  by  the 
physician  who  ordered  her  to  leave  the  State  and  seek 
a  better  and  cooler  climate.  Hearing  of  their  need  I 
invited  Brother  Entzminger  to  come  to  the  hills  of 
Nova  Friburgo  where  Mrs.  Ginsburg  had  been  also 
wonderfully  renewed  in  health. 

They  had  not  been  with  us  more  than  a  week  when 
a  telegram  reached  them  about  a  new  persecution,  one 
of  the  most  terrible  that  had  ever  happened.  That  they 
might  be  able  to  enjoy  their  much  needed  rest  and 
change  I  offered  to  go  to  Pernambuco  and  help  the  be- 
lievers or  rather  stand  by  them  during  those  terrible 
hours  of  danger.  It  was  that  persecution  that  took  me 
to  Pernambuco  again  after  eight  years  of  absence. 

Bom  Jar  dim  Persecution. — Bom  Jardim  (Good 
Garden)  is  a  small  interior  city  about  twenty  miles 
from  the  railroad.  Nestled  among  the  hills  and  moun- 
tains in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  it  is  known  as 
one  of  the  most  enchanting  places.  Surrounded  by 
rich  sugar  cane  and  cattle  plantations  it  is  a  wealthy 
center  and  has  a  great  future,  especially  if  the  plan 
for  a  railroad  should  materialize. 

On  several  of  the  farms  located  in  that  district  the 
gospel  had  had  an  entrance,  and  was  also  being 
preached  in  one  of  the  homes  of  one  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  that  city.  As  it  often  happens,  the  young 
converts  full  of  zeal  and  lack  of  prudence  began  to 
laugh  and  scoff  at  the  Catholics  and  their  priest. 
Nothing  would  have  happened  had  it  not  been  that 
the  leading  convert  and  some  of  the  believing  farmers, 
who  were  allowing  the  gospel  to  be  preached  on  their 
farms,  belonged  to  the  opposing  political  party.     The 


108  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

politician  who  was  then  in  the  lead,  resolved  to  stop 
not  only  the  propaganda  of  the  gospel,  but  also  to 
teach  his  political  opponents  a  lesson.  I  really  believe 
that  this  man  never  imagined  that  his  plan  would  go 
to  the  extreme  that  it  went  to,  but  it  turned  out  to  be 
one  of  the  most  awful  catastrophies  in  the  annals  of 
crime  in  the  State  of  Pernambuco.  What  happened 
was  as  follows: 

The  political  boss,  a  physician,  had  combined  with 
the  Catholic  farmers  to  send  a  detachment  of  their 
hired  help,  most  of  them  ignorant  bandits,  into  town 
on  the  eve  of  Easter  Sunday  of  the  year  1900  for  the 
purpose  of  attacking  the  group  of  believers  as  they 
were  gathered  in  the  home  of  the  leading  convert. 
The  object  was  to  punish  and  if  necessary  kill  every- 
one present,  especially  the  preacher.  Rumors  of  this 
reached  the  believers,  and  though  they  did  not  think 
it  possible  for  such  a  thing  to  happen,  they  neverthe- 
less prevailed  upon  the  women  that  night  to  hide  in  the 
forest,  while  they,  the  men,  fifteen  in  number,  took 
themselves  to  prayer. 

Meanwhile  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city  the  bandits 
were  assembled  and  after  much  drinking  and  shouting 
they  decided  to  divide  forces,  one  group  to  enter  the 
city  and  attack  the  house  from  the  front  and  the  other 
group  to  attack  the  house  from  behind.  Over  eight 
hundred  bandits  had  come  together  to  attack  a  group 
of  fifteen  harmless  and  helpless  believers.  The  signal 
for  the  attack  for  the  group  that  was  coming  from 
behind  was  a  gun  shot  in  the  air. 

The  night  was  very  dark.  Very  few  in  town  knew 
what  was  going  to  take  place.  The  public  theater 
situated  close  by  the  meeting  place  was  crowded  with 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  109 

men,    women    and    children    from    nearly    all    homes. 

It  was  about  eight  o'clock  at  night  that  the  bandits 
made  their  entrance  into  the  town  with  wild  shouts. 
The  people,  not  knowing  the  object  of  their  coming, 
thought  that  the  bandits  had  come  to  rob  and  kill 
everyone,  as  had  lately  happened  in  many  other  places. 
The  news  reached  the  theater  and  then  pandemonium 
broke  loose.  Women  and  children  screamed  and 
fainted  and  men  begged  the  political  boss  to  stop  the 
entrance  of  those  bandits  into  the  city. 

But  the  bandits  were  already  in  town  and  were 
coming  down  the  street  where  the  theater  and  meeting 
place  were  situated.  However,  the  political  boss,  urged 
by  the  mayor  of  the  town,  seeing  what  was  taking 
place  in  the  theater,  met  the  group  and  managed  to 
make  himself  heard  by  the  leader  of  the  bandits  tell- 
ing him  to  return  as  it  was  causing  great  consterna- 
tion and  alarm  among  the  women  of  the  town.  The 
leader  of  the  bandits  apparently  consented  to  with- 
draw, but  whether  purposely  or  not,  he  raised  a  gun 
and  gave  the  agreed  upon  signal  shooting  in  the  air 
and  shouting,  ''Long  live  our  Lady  Saint  Ann." 

The  group  that  was  coming  from  behind,  not  know- 
ing what  was  taking  place,  as  soon  as  they  heard  the 
shot  came  rushing  into  the  street  and  began  firing 
thinking  that  they  were  attacking  the  Protestants. 
The  group  in  the  streets,  seeing  that  they  were  being 
attacked,  and  thinking  it  must  be  the  Protestants  that 
were  making  the  attack,  began  to  fire  into  the  other 
group.  Before  the  mistake  was  discovered  more  than 
twenty-five  were  killed  and  over  a  hundred  wounded. 
Oh,  it  was  a  terrible  night !  While  this  killing  was  going 
on  the  believers  were  on  their  knees  praying  and  asking 


110  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

the  Lord  to  deliver  them  from  the  hands  of  their  cruel 
enemies. 

All  night  the  Catholics  were  working  hard  to 
hide  the  results  of  their  fight,  burying  the  dead  and 
removing  the  wounded.  Some  of  the  families,  how- 
ever, could  not  hide  their  sorrow,  especially  the  politi- 
cal boss  who  lost  one  of  his  own  nephews,  a  promising 
young  man,  who  was  killed  cold-bloodedly  as  he  was 
watching  the  scene.  Were  it  not  for  this  fact  the 
political  boss  would  have  kept  very  quiet,  but  he  lost 
his  head  at  the  sight  of  the  dead  body  of  his  sister's 
only  child  and  he  resolved  to  revenge  himself  on  the 
now  more  than  hated  Protestants. 

And  the  way  he  did  it  was  to  make  out  a  case  of 
wilful  murder  against  the  Protestants,  obliging  the 
judge,  a  silly  young  rascal,  who  was  a  tool  in  his 
hands,  to  accept  false  testimony  and  order  the  arrest 
of  the  few  men  who  were  present  at  the  meeting  and 
on  their  knees  praying.  Not  one  bit  of  evidence  could 
be  found  against  the  believers.  They  even  did  not 
have  a  gun  in  the  house,  but  the  politician  had  his 
false  witnesses  who  swore  to  having  seen  the  Prot- 
estants attack  the  Catholics  and  the  judge  ordered  the 
imprisonment  of  eight  of  the  believers,  while  the 
others  were  obliged  to  hide  until  justice  could  be  ob- 
tained. 

Standing  hy  Persecuted  Converts. — It  was  at  this 
juncture  that  I  arrived  in  Pernambuco.  My  first  visit 
was  to  Bom  Jardim,  to  see  what  could  be  done  to 
release  the  believers  from  the  awful  accusation  and  im- 
prisonment. I  visited,  before  leaving  Pernambuco,  the 
Governor  of  the  State,  asking  him  for  a  safe  conduct. 
I  had  brought  with  me  a  strong  recommendation  from 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  111 

some  of  the  leading  men  of  Brazil  and  when  the  Gov- 
ernor heard  my  request  asked  me  if  I  was  not  afraid 
to  go  to  such  a  place.  I  answered  him:  "Afraid  of 
what?"  ''Why,  of  the  people  that  did  such  an  awful 
deed  not  long  ago."  I  frankly  stated:  ''If  you  can 
guarantee  me  the  authorities  I  am  not  afraid  of  the 
eople."  He  did  not  seem  to  like  my  answer,  but  gave 
e  the  necessary  safe  conduct  and  I  went  to  Bom 
Jardim.  Brother  Jefthe  E.  Hamilton,  now  deceased, 
was  my  companion.  On  the  road  to  Bom  Jardim,  just 
as  we  were  about  to  pass  through  the  district  from 
whence  came  the  bandits  that  had  been  enlisted  for 
the  persecution,  I  met  a  detachment  of  soldiers  who 
were  to  accompany  me  to  the  city,  but  after  taking 
their  picture  I  told  them  to  look  after  Brother  Hamil- 
ton, and  putting  the  spurs  into  my  horse  I  crossed  the 
hills  and  entered  the  city  alone. 

I  was  royally  entertained  in  the  home  of  the  new 
political  leader.  Another  party  had  come  into  power. 
The  leader  of  this  new  party  was  of  Portuguese  de- 
scent, a  baker  by  trade,  and  anxious  to  be  in  power  to 
be  able  to  make  his  pile  of  money.  The  position  of 
political  leader  in  the  interior  of  Brazil  is  one  of  the 
most  remunerative  ones.  To  be  able  to  get  the  be- 
lievers freed,  I  had  to  make  liberal  presents  both  to 
the  children  of  the  political  boss  as  well  as  to  those 
of  the  judge,  who  happened  to  be  the  father  of  eight 
girls.  Then  I  had  to  pay  for  the  entertainment  of  all 
the  farmers  who  were  to  serve  on  the  jury.  To  make 
a  long  story  short,  it  took  me  about  four  years  to 
obtain  the  acquittal  of  the  nineteen  men  that  were 
dragged  into  the  case  and  spent  over  $2,500  in  gold. 
And  even  then,  were  it  not  for  the  political  boss,  whose 


X 


112  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

power  over  the  judge  and  jurors  was  so  great  that  he 
would  enter  the  court,  and  in  the  very  presence  of  the 
judge,  open  the  urn  containing  the  names  of  the  jurors 
and  place  the  names  of  those  he  thought  might  not 
vote  according  to  his  own  view,  where  there  would 
be  no  possibility  of  their  being  called,  the  poor  in- 
nocent believers  would  have  been  condemned  as  mur- 
derers. 

It  was  a  great  fight  but  the  results  were  wonderful, 
for  today  the  gospel  is  spreading  over  that  vast  dis- 
trict in  a  most  marvelous  way.  Churches  and  preach- 
ing places  are  springing  up  everywhere  and  some  of 
our  best  native  preachers  have  come  from  that  very 
city.  The  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Per- 
nambuco.  Rev.  Orlando  Falcao,  is  a  son  of  the  lawyer 
who  was  the  first  one  to  defend  the  persecuted  be- 
lievers in  Bom  Jardim. 

Discussions  in  the  Daily  Press. — Making  Pernam- 
buco  my  new  headquarters  I  immediately  began  efforts 
to  strengthen  the  Baptist  position  in  the  capital  of 
the  State.  We  were  then  worshiping  in  a  rented  hall 
on  a  second  floor,  into  which  about  sixty  could  hardly 
squeeze  themselves.  Shortly  after  my  arrival  I  bought 
an  excellent  piece  of  property  on  which  a  temporary 
hall  was  put  up.  To  this  hall  we  transferred  the  meet- 
ings. The  Lord  blessed  the  work  in  that  temporary 
hall.  Hundreds  of  souls  were  converted  and  a  con- 
tinual revival  prevailed.  I  organized  open-air  meet- 
ings in  several  districts  of  the  city  and  the  Master's 
cause  was  spreading  like  a  fire  through  every  district. 
Though  the  hall  was  not  attractive,  it  somehow  drew 
the  people,  and  even  some  of  the  better  class,  and  the 
Lord  converted  them. 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  113 

This  naturally  provoked  the  opposition  of  the 
Catholic  clergy  and  soon  an  Anti-Protestant  League 
was  organized  to  combat  Protestantism,  and  especially 
the  Baptists.  Every  day  articles  would  appear  in  one 
of  the  dailies,  written  by  some  of  the  leading  men  of 
the  city  or  State.  They  began  attacking  our  doctrines 
which  I  answered  indirectly,  addressing  myself  to  the 
public  instead  of  to  the  clergy  that  wrote.  As  a  rule, 
the  Catholics  and  Jesuits  in  public  discussions  quibble 
and  quarrel  over  phrases  and  words  instead  of  doc- 
trines and  principles.  To  avoid  useless  discussions  I 
thought  it  best  not  to  pay  any  attention  to  personal- 
ities, but  teach  and  explain  the  truth  and  the  simplicity 
of  the  gospel.  In  my  articles  I  never  attacked  parties 
or  persons,  but  took  up  the  arguments  presented  by 
the  opponents,  and  addressed  my  answers  and  appeal  to 
the  public  in  general. 

The  results  of  this  discussion,  which  lasted  three 
years,  were  most  satisfactory.  The  monk,  who  was 
spokesman  for  the  league,  lost  his  head  and  began 
insulting  me  in  a  most  shameful  way  and  unable  to 
stop  my  teachings  and  appeals,  began  to  solicit  my 
expulsion  from  the  country  as  an  undesirable  character. 
It  was  then  that  the  republicans  and  liberal-minded 
men  took  up  the  discussion  and  began  to  answer  the 
priest,  writing  terrible  articles  against  him. 

They  finally  denounced  him  publicly,  proving  that 
most  of  his  articles  were  plagiarized.  They  broke  up 
the  Anti-Protestant  League.  Two  very  interesting 
things  happened  during  these  public  discussions.  One 
was  the  attempt  to  burn  copies  of  the  Bible  and  the 
other  the  meeting  of  a  priest  in  a  railroad  carriage. 

Public  Burning   of   the  Bible. — In   all   my   articles 


114  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

published  in  the  daily  press  during  the  three  years  of 
discussion  I  would  urge  the  readers  to  verify  my  state- 
ments in  the  Bible,  no  matter  whether  a  Catholic  or 
Protestant ;  and  if,  peradventure,  they  did  not  possess  a 
copy  of  the  same,  to  let  me  know,  and  I  would  gladly 
furnish  them  one.  I  never  distributed  so  many  Bibles 
as  during  those  three  years  and,  as  is  usually  the  case, 
it  accomplished  its  purpose,  converting  souls  and 
opening  the  eyes  of  many  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus, 
our  Lord. 

This  statement  of  mine  in  the  papers  angered  the 
priests  more  than  anything  else.  They  did  everything 
in  their  power  to  convince  the  people  that  they  ought 
not  to  have  anything  to  do  with  Bibles;  never  to  read, 
but  to  burn  every  copy  that  might  fall  into  their  hands. 
And  to  convince  them  not  only  that  our  Bibles  were 
false  and  that  they  ought  to  be  burned  they  organized 
a  public  Bible  burning  affair.  This  insult  to  Prot- 
estantism, I  thought,  ought  to  be  prevented,  as  the 
Constitution  of  Brazil,  as  well  as  the  Civil  Law,  pro- 
hibited public  insults  against  any  religious  symbol  of 
whatever  creed.  I,  therefore,  sent  a  cablegram  to  all 
the  papers  published  in  the  Federal  Capital,  another 
to  one  of  the  Senators  of  the  District  as  well  as  to  the 
President  of  the  Republic  and  the  Secretary  of  State 
protesting  against  this  outrage  in  the  name  of  the 
Brazilian  Baptists,  as  well  as  that  of  the  millions  of 
Baptists  in  the  world. 

That  telegram  accomplished  wonders.  The  question 
was  taken  up  by  one  of  the  leading  representatives 
who  was  from  the  State  of  Rio  Grande  do  Sul,  where 
there  are  more  than  250,000  German  Lutherans,  and  in 
their  name  as  well  as  in  ours  attacked  the  bishop  of 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  115 

Pernambuco  for  allowing  such  an  outrage  to  take  place 
in  his  city,  making  him  responsible  for  it.  The  Presi- 
dent of  the  Republic  was  asked  to  stop  that  Bible  burn- 
ing and  he  immediately  telegraphed  to  the  Governor 
of  Pernambuco  to  that  eifect,  and  it  was  stopped. 
That  was  a  great  victory  for  the  cause  of  righteous- 
ness. I  was  returning  from  a  trip  to  the  interior  when 
an  evening  paper  was  handed  to  me.  The  paper 
brought  extensive  telegrams  from  Rio  de  Janeiro  giv- 
ing full  accounts  of  the  epoch-making  speech  delivered 
in  the  Senate  by  the  representative  of  Rio  Grande 
do  Sul.  As  soon  as  I  read  it  I  just  had  to  shout  and 
throw  my  cap  as  high  as  the  railroad  carriage  would 
permit.  It  was  a  glorious  victory  and  I  was  grateful 
for  having  been  permitted  to  have  a  part  in  it. 
That  evening,  while  visiting  the  editors  of  the  paper 
that  published  my  articles,  I  met  one  of  the  leading 
politicians  of  the  State  who  told  me:  *'Sr.  Solomao, 
you  have  killed  the  bishop  and  gained  a  great  victory. 
I  congratulate  you  and  wish  you  continued  success. 
Just  go  on  as  you  have  been  doing.  You  have  many 
friends  in  town  who  are  waiting  for  the  opportunity 
to  come  out  openly  and  stand  by  you."  Soon  after 
that  these  friends  came  out  and  many  of  them  helped 
substantially  in  the  building  up  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  in  that  great  center,  and  today  stand  valiantly 
on  our  side. 

Meeting  a  Catholic  Priest  on  a  Train. — During  the 
time  of  my  discussions  with  the  Anti-Protestant 
League  there  was  no  name  more  hated  and  denounced 
than  mine,  especially  by  the  Catholic  clergy.  One 
day  while  traveling  to  the  city  of  Nazareth  an  old 
priest  came  into  the  railroad  carriage  in  which  I  was 


116  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

traveling.  As  the  only  available  place  to  sit  down  was 
next  to  me,  he  sat  down  by  me  and  ere  long  I  began 
to  chat  with  him.  I  had  heard  about  him  a  good  deal, 
especially  of  his  eccentricities.  A  good  many  interest- 
ing stories  were  told  about  him  and  it  was  generally 
rumored  that  he  had  about  eighty  children,  of  as  many 
women,  who  were  living  all  over  his  parish.  He  was 
a  clever  and  witty  man  and  I  had  a  good  long  talk 
with  him.  I  ventured  finally  to  ask  him  about  the 
discussion  that  was  going  on  in  the  public  press  and 
to  my  surprise  learned  that  he  did  not  know  me  per- 
sonally. He  began  attacking  my  name  and  person, 
telling  some  terrible  yarns  about  me.  He  talked  loudly 
and  as  most  of  the  people  in  the  railroad  carriage 
knew  me,  they  had  a  good  laugh  to  themselves,  which 
the  priest  interpreted  to  mean  he  was  making  a  good 
impression  on  the  hearers  in  his  attack  on  the  hated 
''Solomao."  Finally  I  asked  him  if  he  knew  personally 
that  hated  "Solomao." 

''Oh,  yes,"  said  he,  ''I  know  him  well." 

''What  does  he  look  like,"  I  asked. 

"Oh,"  said  he,  "he  is  an  ugly  looking  man,  his  face 
is  eaten  up  by  smallpox  and  by  a  bad  disease.  No- 
body can  be  near  him  for  he  suffers  from  a  disease 
that  drives  people  away.  He  cannot  eat  pork,  for  it 
aggravates  his  sickness."  The  poor  priest  went  on 
like  that  telling  some  of  the  vilest  lies,  which  made  me 
laugh  so  much  that  tears  came  to  my  eyes. 

At  last  I  said,  "Look  here,  Senhor  Padre,  I  also 
know  this  Solomao  and  I  have  seen  him  eat  pork  and 
he  really  is  not  so  ugly  looking  as  you  make  out." 

"Oh,  no,"  he  insisted,  "I  know  him  and  what  I  tell 
you  is  the  truth. ' ' 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  117 

This  conversation  brought  us  to  the  station  where 
he  was  getting  off  and  in  wishing  him  good-bye  I  told 
him  that  for  a  long  time  I  had  desired  to  meet  and 
know  him  personally,  as  I  had  heard  so  many  in- 
teresting stories  about  him  and  that  now  I  was  per- 
fectly satisfied. 

*^And  with  whom  have  I  had  the  honor  to  speak,'' 
he  asked,  and  you  should  have  seen  his  face  when  I 
told  him  that  I  was  that  hated  ^'Solomao." 

**No,  no!''  he  exclaimed  excitedly,  ^'that  cannot  be, 
Solomao  is  not  such  a  cultured  person  as  you  are.'' 
But  when  I  assured  him  that  I  was  the  very  one  and 
everyone  else  confirmed  my  assertion  he  left  without 
saying  another  word,  no  doubt  terribly  chagrined  at 
the  ludicrous  mistake  he  had  made. 

Soon  after  that  I  moved  into  the  district  where  this 
priest  was  vicar.  Right  opposite  the  house  where  we 
stayed,  one  of  his  sons  was  living,  whose  children,  the 
grandchildren  of  that  priest,  became  great  friends  of 
my  children.  When  my  daughter,  Arvilla,  organized  a 
Children's  Society,  one  of  the  priest's  grandchildren 
became  the  Secretary  of  the  Society  and  the  other 
grandchildren  charter  members.  Every  time  he  would 
meet  me  on  the  street  he  would  hide  his  face  in  shame 
because  of  what  had  happened  on  the  train. 

Growth  and  Development. — Never  did  the  cause  of 
the  Master  prosper  so  wonderfully  as  during  those 
years  of  persecution  and  public  discussions.  Every 
step  we  took  was  watched  by  the  members  of  the 
League.  Spies  were  sent  to  our  meeting  places  to 
watch  if  any  prominent  persons  came  to  our  preach- 
ing services  and  the  following  day  that  person  would 
receive  warning  not  to  continue  if  he  wished  to  keep 


118  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

well  with  society.  A  good  many  physicians,  lawyers, 
merchants,  etc.,  were  driven  away  from  our  meetings 
by  those  threats,  but  the  cause  continued  to  prosper 
nevertheless. 

A  Beautiful  Church  Edifice. — One  of  the  great  at- 
tractions was  the  new  church  edifice  that  the  natives 
themselves  built,  helped  with  the  amount  of  $1,500 
by  the  W.  M.  S.  of  South  Carolina  in  response  to 
appeals  from  Mrs.  W.  E.  Entzminger,  a  sum  not  suf- 
ficient to  pay  for  the  lot  on  which  the  building  is 
standing.  Every  Sunday  morning  the  church  would 
be  crowded  with  believers  and  after  the  meeting  I 
would  ask  them  not  to  return  to  the  night  service,  but 
preach  to  their  neighbors  in  the  suburbs  where  they 
were  living  and  thus  leave  room  for  the  many  out- 
siders that  were  anxious  to  hear  the  gospel.  At  five 
o'clock  we  would  have  our  Young  People's  meeting 
and  at  six  we  would  go  out  and  invite  outsiders,  using 
handbills  as  well  as  open-air  preaching.  Every  Sunday 
night  the  hall  would  be  crowded  to  overflowing.  I  very 
seldom  had  congregations  of  less  than  eight  hundred 
or  a  thousand,  especially  on  the  nights  when  we  would 
baptize  our  candidates. 

The  plans  for  the  church  and  the  supervision  of  the 
work  was  done  by  an  American,  a  Baptist  deacon 
from  Alexander  City,  Ala.,  Bro.  W.  W.  Robinson, 
who  was  then  working  for  an  American  company  in 
Pernambuco.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robinson,  who  stayed 
with  us  for  about  two  years,  were  a  great  help  and 
blessing  both  to  the  cause  and  to  us  personally. 

Training  Native  Helpers. — While  in  the  Campos 
Mission,  1893-1900,  I  noticed  the  lack  of  competent 
native  help  and  in  correspondence  with  dear  Dr.  "Wil- 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  119 

linghaan,  the  then  corresponding  secretary  of  our  Board 
in  Richmond,  I  suggested  the  setting  apart  of  a  sum 
of  money  for  the  purpose  of  preparing  a  few  young 
men  for  the  ministry.  I  also  suggested  that,  as  Dr. 
J.  J.  Taylor  was  then  living  in  Sao  Paulo,  he  could 
easily  undertake  that  kind  of  work  for  which  he  was 
so  well  prepared,  and  the  students  could  also  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  MacKenzie  College  for  the  study  of  other 
subjects  than  theology.  That  suggestion  was  accepted 
by  the  Board  and  Dr.  J.  J.  Taylor  was  given  a  fund  for 
the  purpose  of  preparing,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  four 
young  men.  I  know  that  some  young  men  were  sent 
to  Sao  Paulo  wdth  that  object  in  view.  The  final  result 
of  that  attempt  I  am  unable  to  tell,  as,  soon  after  that, 
I  was  transferred  to  the  North  and  there  I  asked  for 
the  same  favor  from  our  Board  for  our  Northern  field. 

Brother  Jefthe  Hamilton,  realizing  the  same  great 
need,  promised  to  help.  Mrs.  Ginsburg  was  anxious 
to  do  her  part  and  several  young  men,  some  of  them 
with  a  fairly  good  education,  were  ready  to  teach  as 
well  as  study  in  this  theological  class.  The  class  was 
organized  with  ten  students.  Some  good  work  was 
done,  but  Brother  Hamilton  moved  to  Para  and  I 
was  so  occupied  with  the  evangelistic  work  that  I  could 
not  look  after  the  class.     It  was,  therefore,  disbanded. 

Soon  after  this  Brother  W.  H.  Cannada  arrived  on 
the  field  and  before  long  organized  a  theological  class 
into  which  a  few  of  the  students  in  the  former  class 
entered.  I  rendered  some  assistance  by  lecturing  to 
this  class.  A  little  later  Brother  Cannada  organized 
also  a  day  school.  This  day  school  and  theological 
class  developed  eventually  into  the  Colegio  Americano 


120  A  MISSIONAKY  ADVENTURE 

Baptista,  with  its  magnificent  buildings  and  over  900 
pupils. 

When  on  my  furlough  in  the  United  States  in 
1904- '05  I  urged  upon  two  young  men  the  great  need 
of  taking  up  the  Seminary  work  in  Brazil.  One  was 
Dr.  J.  "W.  Shepard,  who  soon  after  came  to  Pernam- 
buco  and  after  obtaining  a  knowledge  of  the  language 
moved  to  Rio  de  Janeiro,  where  he  organized  and 
established  the  great  Rio  College  and  Seminary.  The 
other  one  was  the  Rev.  H.  H.  Muirhead,  the  present 
director  of  the  Pernambuco  College  and  Seminary. 
What  a  difference  from  the  days  of  struggle  and  per- 
secution! Praised  be  the  Lord  for  the  little  part  he 
permitted  me  to  have  in  that  work.  The  seed  sown 
has  certainly  brought  forth  abundant  results. 
.  Growth  in  the  Suburbs. — Due  to  the  testimony  of  the 
believers  in  their  respective  neighborhoods,  the  work 
began  to  spread  into  every  nook  and  corner  of  that 
great  city  of  200,000  inhabitants.  Mission  stations 
were  organized  in  different  sections  where  now  we  have 
strong  and  prosperous  churches.  In  some  of  them  the 
work  was  not  greatly  hindered,  though  we  had  to  con- 
tend with  the  enemy  in  almost  every  one  of  them.  The 
place  where  the  persecution  was  severest  was  in  Up- 
tinga.  Very  few  believers  lived  in  that  suburb.  One 
was  a  black  brother,  deacon  of  our  church,  who  had  a 
large  family  and  who  was  highly  respected  by  every- 
body for  his  honesty  and  excellent  behavior.  Rent- 
ing a  front  room  near  the  suburban  station  we  began 
preaching  services  to  which  the  neighbors  came  en 
masse. 

The    first   two    nights    everything   went    along   very 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  121 

smoothly,  but  the  third  night  brought  a  disagreement. 
Just  as  I  was  teaching  the  people  a  Portuguese  version 
of  that  beautiful  hymn:  ''Stand  up,  stand  up  for 
Jesus!"  a  group  of  assassins  boldly  entered.  The  first 
one  had  a  scythe  in  his  hand  and  struck  the  man  that 
was  standing  at  the  door  and  felled  him  to  the  ground. 
Fortunately  he  did  not  kill  him.  The  second  came  in 
on  horseback,  having  a  revolver  in  his  hand.  We 
found  the  revolver  case  afterwards,  and  why  he  did  not 
shoot  I  cannot  explain  even  now.  The  third  wore  a 
mask.  I  was  told  afterwards  that  he  was  the  station- 
master  himself.  He  had  a  long  sword  in  his  hand  and 
was  making  his  way  straight  for  my  head. 

I  was  sitting  behind  the  little  organ  and  close  to  my 
face  was  a  very  large  lamp  that  a  neighbor  had  loaned 
to  us.  The  bandit  either  mistook  my  head  for  the 
lamp  or  really  wished  to  put  the  light  out  of  commis- 
sion. The  fact  was,  he  struck  the  lamp  with  his  sword 
and  complete  darkness  ensued.  I  was  wondering  what 
would  happen  next,  but  as  quietness  seemed  to  prevail, 
I  struck  a  match  and  found  that  the  room  was  de- 
serted, everybody  having  disappeared  except  the  poor 
man  lying  at  the  entrance  with  a  bad  wound  on  his 
head.  That,  however,  was  the  last  persecution  that  we 
suffered  in  that  neighborhood.  The  police  after  that 
gave  us  the  necessary  protection  and  today  we  have  a 
splendid  self-supporting  church  there,  with  a  well- 
organized  Sunday  school. 

Great  persecutions  took  place  in  some  of  the  interior 
districts,  but  these  would  be  too  innumerable  to  relate. 
I  will  only  refer  here  to  the  two  outstanding  ones,  and 
to  the  wonderful  way  the  good  Lord  delivered  me 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  assassin,  due  no  doubt  to  the 


122  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

prayers  of  the  Lord's  people.  One  about  my  en- 
counter with  the  most  notorious  bandit  then  roaming 
about  the  State,  Antonio  Silvino  by  name,  and  the 
other  about  the  opening  up  of  our  work  in  Limoeiro. 
My  Encounter  With  a  Bandit,  or  the  Wonderful 
Power  of  Prayer. — After  a  prolonged  three  years'  dis- 
cussion through  the  daily  press  with  the  organized 
forces  of  the  Catholic  Priesthood  in  Pernambuco; 
after  every  effort  had  been  made  to  expel  me  from 
Brazil,  especially  from  the  Pernambuco  field,  where 
the  Lord  was  blessing  us,  a  reactionary  Italian  monk, 
whose  name  was  Celestino,  resolved  to  eliminate  me  by 
assassination. 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  State  of  Pernambuco 
there  was  a  band  of  bandits  roving  about  committing 
all  kinds  of  atrocities.  The  chief  was  one  of  the 
most  daring  men  that  ever  appeared  in  Brazil.  His 
name  was  Antonio  Silvino.  A  great  many  crimes  were 
attributed  to  this  band  and  the  Government  had  of- 
fered a  sum  of  $10,000 — 40,000  milreis — for  his  appre- 
hension, dead  or  alive.  The  capture  of  this  man, 
however,  was  very  difficult.  He  had  a  disconcerting 
gift  of  shooting  and  hitting  the  mark,  usually  killing 
the  one  who  dared  to  attack  him.  He  was  also  very 
good  to  the  poor  and  would  share  with  them  much  of 
the  spoil  he  would  obtain  from  the  rich  or  even  from 
the  Government. 

It  was  to  this  man  that  the  Italian  monk  appealed. 
He  worked  upon  his  credulity  and  superstition,  and 
obtained  his  consent  to  have  me  killed  for  the  sum  of 
250  milreis  (about  fifty  dollars).  They  found  out  the 
exact  day  I  was  expected  to  visit  the  small  village  of 


IN  PERNAMBUCO  (1900-1909)  123 

Moganga    and    had    the    man    ready    to    waylay    me. 

I  left  the  city  of  Nazareth  about  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  I  had  one  companion  with  me,  Brother 
Amaro,  a  native  convert  who  went  as  my  guide.  About 
five  o'clock  I  saw  a  small,  slender,  but  wiry  look- 
ing man  standing  in  a  field  close  by  the  road  I  had  to 
pass.  In  his  hands  he  held  a  double-barreled  gun  and 
across  his  chest  was  a  long  chain  of  cartridges.  My 
first  thought  was  that  he  was  out  hunting  and,  as  is 
my  usual  custom,  I  stopped  the  horse  and  greeted  him, 
wishing  him  a  good  morning  and  asking  if  he  was 
out  for  a  hunt.  He  did  not  seem  to  care  to  reply,  so  I 
asked  him  if  he  had  caught  anything  that  morning, 
but  he  continued  silent.  So  putting  the  spurs  to  my 
horse,  I  was  about  to  follow  my  companion  who  had 
ridden  ahead  of  me,  when  a  negro  jumped  out  of  a 
tree  right  in  front  of  my  horse  and  was  trying  to  lay 
hold  of  the  bridle.  The  man  behind  me  shouted  some- 
thing to  him  that  I  could  not  understand,  but  evidently 
the  negro  did,  for  he  jumped  out  of  the  way  and  let 
me  continue  my  journey. 

Soon  after  that  I  passed  through  a  small  village, 
called  Sape,  and  there  I  met  Cocada,  a  heavy  white 
man  whose  flushed  face  bespoke  him  a  member  of  that 
celebrated  bandit  band.  This  one  was  sitting  on  the 
ground  receiving  presents  or  goods  from  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  place.  He  did  not  even  look  up  to  see  who 
was  passing.  At  eight  o'clock  I  reached  the  village 
of  Moganga  where  I  was  to  pass  that  day,  preaching 
and  teaching. 

As  soon  as  I  arrived,  however,  I  could  see  surprise 
stamped  on  the  faces  of  everyone  I  met.  The  politi- 
cal boss  of  the  village,  in  whose  home  I  was  to  stay 


124  A  ]^nSSIOXARY  ADVENTURE 

during  my  sojourn  in  the  village,  received  me  Tvith 
evident  joy  and  embraced  me  repeatedly  asking  all 
the  while:  ''Did  you  meet  Antonio  Silvino?"  I  told 
him  that  I  did  not  know  him  personally  so  could  not 
say  whether  I  met  him  or  not.  However,  I  told  him 
whom  I  had  met  and  he  informed  me  that  the  first  one, 
with  the  double-barreled  gun  in  his  hands  was  the 
person  in  question. 

He  then  gave  me  the  information  that  he  had  been 
informed  that  this  bandit  had  received  money  to  have 
me  removed  from  the  land  of  the  living.  As  soon  as 
he  had  learned  that  news  he  had  been  trying  to  get  in 
touch  with  me,  but  that  I  had  already  left  the  place 
where  they  expected  to  reach  me  and  therefore  did  not 
know  what  to  do,  but  to  leave  it  to  Providence  as  the 
good  man  put  it.     (He  was  not  a  believer.) 

I  had  a  very  busy  day.  Rejoicing  because  of  my 
escape  from  the  hands  of  the  bandit,  I  had  a  glorious 
time  with  the  believers.  Our  public  meeting  began 
about  7  P.  M.  and  lasted  until  nearly  midnight. 
"We  had  singiug  of  hymns,  preaching,  praying  and  a 
testimony  meeting,  as  well  as  acceptation  of  candi- 
dates for  baptism.  Tired  and  almost  exhausted,  as  I 
had  not  slept  the  previous  night,  I  asked  the  native 
brother  to  continue  the  meeting  and  I  went  to  a  small 
room,  back  of  the  front  room  in  the  home  of  the  politi- 
cal boss  and  was  about  ready  to  crawl  into  my  ham- 
mock, when  a  knock  came  at  the  front  door.  There 
was  a  demand  to  open  immediately.  The  owner  of  the 
house  went  to  inquire  who  it  was  disturbing  the  mid- 
night hour  when  he  was  told,  to  his  consternation,  that 
it  was  Antonio  Silvino  and  that  he  wished  to  speak  to 
Sr.  Solomao. 


IN  PERNAMBUCO  (1900-1909)  125 

You  can  imagine  how  my  heart  fell  within  me  as  I 
realized  that  those  were  very  likely  my  last  moments. 
I  had  congratulated  myself  on  having  escaped  the 
bandit  and  here  he  was  in  the  very  home  of  the  politi- 
cal boss  and  right  across  from  the  police  station !  I  fell 
on  my  knees  asking  the  Lord  for  just  one  thing  and 
that  was  to  give  me  the  necessary  strength  to  give  a 
good  testimony.  The  Lord  has  given  me  the  gift  of 
not  fearing  anybody  or  anything,  but  he  also  gave  me 
a  very  sensitive  nature.  I  cannot  bear  the  sight  of 
blood  and  all  my  courage  flees  from  me  when  I  see 
anyone  suffering.  The  only  thing  I  was  afraid  of  was 
to  show  that  fear  in  case  he  was  going  to  torture  me 
and  it  was  for  that  that  I  was  asking  strength. 
Praised  be  his  holy  name,  he  did  not  fail  me ! 

As  soon  as  he  was  seated  they  came  and  called  for 
me.  I  told  them  that  I  would  be  out  in  a  moment. 
Coming  into  the  front  room,  a  large,  spacious  room, 
I  saw  the  bandit  sitting  with  bowed  head  on  the  sofa. 
The  political  leader  was  pale  and  trembling  while  his 
wife  and  sister,  two  slender  women,  were  wringing 
their  hands  and  weeping  as  if  their  hearts  would  break. 

Walking  up  to  the  man,  feeling  my  heart  strong,  I 
said,  ' '  You  wished  to  see  me ;  what  can  I  do  for  you  ? '  * 

**Do  you  know  who  I  am?"  he  asked  me  after  a 
while,  and  I  answered,  *'Yes,  you  are  Captain  Antonio 
Silvino.'^ 

**Do  you  know  why  I  came  here?''  he  then  asked, 
and  I  said,  **Yes,  you  have  been  bought  to  kill  me"; 
and  he  answered  **E'  verdade!"  (''That  is  true.") 

I  breathed  another  prayer  to  my  heavenly  Father  as 
I  stood  before  this  bandit,  asking  him  to  help  me  and 
to  take  care  of  my  wife  and  little  ones.     After  a  few 


126  A  MISSIONAKY  ADVENTURE 

moments  had  gone  by  without  his  making  any  move, 
I  said,  "Well,  why  don't  you  go  ahead  and  do  it?" 

But  he  did  not  move  and  after  a  few  moments  of 
silence,  I  noticed  that  he  was  wiping  his  eyes,  tears 
streaming  down  his  face. 

Finally  he  said,  ''No,  I  won't  kill  you.  I  would 
much  rather  kill  the  person  who  asked  me  to  kill  you. 
I  won't  kill  a  man  like  you.  This  morning  while  I 
was  waiting  for  you  near  the  Sape  village,  you  stopped 
your  horse  and  spoke  to  me  so  gentlemanly  and  kindly 
that  I  was  surprised.  I  had  been  told  that  you  were 
a  dangerous  person,  that  your  doctrines  and  teachings 
were  a  curse  to  the  people  and  to  the  country  and 
that  killing  you  would  be  a  blessing  to  many.  But 
you  spoke  to  me  so  kindly  that  I  determined  to  find 
out  a  little  more  about  you.  I  was  present  while  you 
were  preaching  and  teaching  and  praying  and  singing 
and  I  tell  you  that  I  am  not  going  to  kill  a  man  that 
is  doing  such  good  work." 

We  passed  the  night  together  and  he  told  me  his  life 
story,  one  of  the  saddest  that  I  have  ever  listened  to. 
He  was  not  a  common  criminal.  He  belonged  to  a 
very  wealthy  and  aristocratic  family.  He  himself  is 
the  owner  of  a  great  tract  of  valuable  land  in  the  State 
of  Parahyba.  But  on  account  of  political  feuds  his 
father,  brothers,  uncles  and  cousins  had  been  exter- 
minated and  to  escape  the  same  fate  he  had  resolved 
to  turn  bandit  and  destroy  not  only  his  political  oppo- 
nents but  all  that  would  dare  to  rise  up  against  him. 
Up  to  the  time  I  had  met  him  he  had  killed  sixty-six 
persons. 

We  talked  and  prayed  together  until  daybreak. 
Ever  after  that  encounter,  this  bandit  became  the  de- 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  127 

fender  of  our  cause  in  that  region.  He  would  not 
permit  any  persecution  against  the  gospel  and  against 
the  preachers.  I  have  no  doubt  that  my  life  was  saved 
several  times  from  destruction  at  the  hands  of  bandits 
on  account  of  the  strict  orders  received  from  this  man. 

Sometime  after  I  went  to  the  Lieutenant-Governor 
of  the  State  and  offered  to  take  this  bandit  out  of 
the  State  and  give  him  a  chance  of  regeneration  on 
condition  that  neither  I  nor  the  bandit  would  be 
molested.  His  excellency,  though  a  great  admirer  of 
the  work  we  were  doing,  did  not  see  his  way  clear  to 
grant  me  this  request. 

Soon  after  I  left  Pernambuco  this  man  was  caught, 
wounded  and  brought  to  the  capital  of  the  State,  where 
he  was  tried  and  condemned  to  the  penitentiary.  In 
prison  his  delight  is  in  reading  the  Bible  and  telling 
the  people  that  come  to  see  him,  as  well  as  his  fellow- 
prisoners,  what  the  Lord  had  done  for  him.  One  of 
the  editors  of  an  evening  paper  went  to  interview  him 
and  came  back  quite  disgusted: 

**A11  you  can  get  out  of  Antonio  Silvino,*'  he  wrote, 
*'is  about  the  Baptists  and  the  Bible."  You  will 
always  find  him  with  his  Bible  in  his  hands  reading 
and  praying.  It  is  simply  wonderful  what  the  Lord 
can  do  for  a  poor  degraded  sinner.  The  blood  of 
Jesus  is  still  efficacious  and  saves  unto  the  uttermost 
all  that  come  to  him  by  faith. 

Now  the  most  remarkable  part  of  this  narrative : 

It  took  me  about  a  month  to  return  home.  I  visited 
several  dangerous  places  and  passed  through  great 
trails  and  difficulties,  but  rejoicing  because  his 
presence   was   with   me    and   his   blessings   multiplied. 

Opening  my  mail  on  my  return  home   I   found   a 


128  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

letter  from  a  Young  Women's  Society  of  Americus, 
Georgia.  In  it  the  secretary,  evidently  a  young  lady, 
wrote  me  more  or  less  tlie  following : 

**Dear  Brother  Ginsburg,  today  is  our  missionary 
day  and  we  have  been  studying  about  you  and  your 
work  and  have  been  offering  special  prayers  to  our 
heavenly  Father  to  bless  you,  keep  and  protect  you 
from  all  danger  and  use  you  mightily  in  his  service/' 
Upon  looking  at  the  date  of  the  letter  I  noticed  that 
it  was  the  very  day  I  met  that  celebrated  bandit, 
Antonio  Silvino. 

Our  God  is  a  prayer  hearing  God.  Blessed  be  his 
name! 

Opening  of  the  Work  in  Limoeiro. — The  city  of 
Limoeiro  is  a  very  strategic  center  in  the  Pernambuco 
field  not  only  because  of  its  population^  and  railroad 
facilities  but  also  because  of  its  rich  surrounding  cot- 
ton and  sugar-cane  farms.  A  few  years  previous  to 
our  moving  to  Pernambuco,  Dr.  Entzminger  had  tried 
to  open  a  mission  station  in  that  city  and  after  renting 
and  furnishing  a  hall  had  sent  one  of  his  native  helpers 
to  inaugurate  the  work.  The  morning  after  the  first 
night's  service  a  group  of  ruffians  broke  into  the  home 
where  the  native  pastor  was  staying,  tied  him  hands 
and  feet  and  placed  him  on  the  train  that  was  about 
to  leave  the  city  and  told  him  in  very  plain  language: 
^'This  time  we  let  you  go  this  way,  but  don't  you 
dare  come  back,  for  then  you  will  be  carried  out  in 
quite  a  different  fashion."  The  poor  man  was  so 
frightened  that  you  could  not  get  him  to  look  at  the 
place  even  on  the  map. 

After  our  great  convention  in  1909  when  it  had  been 
resolved  that  I  was  to  move  to  Bahia,  from  whence 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  129 

dear  Dr.  Z.  C.  Taylor  was  obliged  to  retire  on  account 
of  failing  health,  I  determined  with  God's  help  to 
establish  the  work  in  Limoeiro.  The  Catholic  element 
in  that  city  had  been  daring  us  to  do  it  and  promising 
a  very  warm  reception  in  case  we  ever  attempted  the 
venture.  Several  times,  when  passing  through  the  city, 
I  had  been  taunted  about  it  and  I  had  told  some  of  the 
bitterest  foes  that  the  time  would  come  when  the  work 
would  be  established  and  that  they  would  receive  due 
notice  about  it. 

It  was  a  daring  undertaking  and  I  knew  perfectly 
well  that  I  was  risking  my  life,  but  trusting  in  the 
Lord  and  knowing  that  he  was  able  to  care  and  keep 
and  protect  me  as  he  had  done  many  a  time  before,  I 
went  ahead. 

We  rented  a  house  and  furnished  the  front  room 
with  the  necessary  benches,  pulpit,  lights,  etc.,  I  also 
obtained,  due  to  the  Masonic  brethren,  the  use,  free 
of  charge,  of  the  public  theater  for  my  first  lecture. 
I  left  an  announcement  inviting  the  public  for  the 
following  Sunday  to  the  first  lecture  on  the  subject: 
*'The  Objectives  of  the  Evangelical  Propaganda." 

Wednesday  before  that  Sunday  I  received  a  tele- 
gram from  a  friend  advising  me  that  the  local  priest 
and  the  fanatical  Catholics  were  bringing  into  town 
eighty  bandits  for  the  sole  purpose  of  driving  out,  or 
if  necessary  exterminating  every  Protestant  that 
would  dare  to  preach  his  religion.  I  had  expected  a 
move  like  that  and  I  immediately  took  the  telegram 
to  the  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the  State,  who  was  a 
personal  friend  of  mine,  having  helped  me  out  of  sev- 
eral difficult  situations.  He  told  me  to  go  ahead  and 
he  would  see  to  it  that  I  had  sufficient  protection. 


130  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Saturday  I  took  the  train  to  Limoeiro.  Midway,  at 
a  junction  called  Entroncamento  an  officer  of  the  State 
militia,  accompanied  by  a  half-dozen  soldiers,  met  me 
and  placed  themselves  at  my  disposal.  I  thanked  them 
and  asked,  "Why  such  haste?  Why  had  they  not 
waited  till  I  reached  the  city?"  The  officer  then  in- 
formed me  that  the  persecutors  had  witnessed  the 
arrival  of  the  police  force  and  naturally  had  suspected 
that  they  had  come  to  keep  order  and  protect  the 
Protestants.  The  persecutors  had  then  instructed  the 
bandits  to  board  the  train  two  stations  before  it  reached 
Limoeiro  and  accomplish  their  object  there.  The  officer 
was  advised  about  that  resolution*  and  determined  to 
frustrate  it.  He  resolved  to  meet  me  at  the  junction 
and  sit  down  by  my  side  thus  saving  my  life  and  those 
of  my  companions. 

Sure  enough,  when  the  train  arrived  at  Ilheitas,  just 
two  stations  on  this  side  of  Limoeiro,  a  group  of 
suspicious-looking  men  boarded  the  train  and  seemed 
to  be  anxiously  looking  for  me.  Seeing  the  officer  close 
by  me  and  two  soldiers  with  loaded  guns  at  one  end  of 
the  coach  and  another  two  at  the  other  end  and  several 
more  near  by,  they  thought  it  best  to  await  another 
opportunity. 

Reaching  the  city  of  Limoeiro  I  found  lined  up  at 
the  station  platform  sixty  soldiers,  all  fully  equipped 
and  armed,  and  no  one  was  allowed  to  approacl  the 
railroad  carriage  without  my  permission.  I  felt  im 
portant  for  once  in  my  life.  The  most  surprising  part 
of  it  all  was  the  fact  that  the  sergeant  who  was  de- 
tailed to  watch  me  day  and  night,  was  a  member  of 
the  Nazareth  Baptist  Church,  who,  a  few  years  pre- 
vious, while  I  was  preaching  at   an  open-air  meeting 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  131 

in  that  city,  had  been  hired  to  kill  me.  As  related 
already  in  the  previous  chapter,  to  be  able  to  carry  out 
that  intention  he  tried  to  obtain  a  little  courage  from 
King  Alcohol,  who,  most  naturally,  put  him  to  sleep 
instead.  When  he  awoke  from  his  drunken  stupor, 
the  meeting  was  over  and  a  few  months  afterwards, 
being  converted,  informed  the  church  about  that  ex- 
perience. How  that  man  watched  and  cared  for  me 
would  be  impossible  to  describe.  I  know  that,  under 
God,  I  owe  my  life  to  him. 

Sunday  afternoon  I  gave  the  lecture  in  the  theater 
to  an  enormous  crowd.  The  priest  had  left  the  city 
hoping  that  the  bandits  would  do  the  job  while  he  was 
away.  But  nothing  happened!  The  meeting  went  off 
splendidly  and  I  invited  the  crowd  to  the  next  meet- 
ing which  was  to  take  place  in  our  own  preaching  hall. 

Mondaj  evening  I  met  the  priest  at  the  t'ain  and 
invited  him  to  the  meeting  and  he  promised  to  come. 
I  was  preaching  on  that  beautiful  text:  *'I  am  not 
ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ  for  it  is  the  power 
of  God  unto  salvation  to  everyone  that  believeth." 
The  hall  was  crowded  and  the  priest  was  leaning  in 
at  the  window.  Now  and  again  I  would  appeal  to 
him  asking  him  whether  what  I  was  preaching  was 
not  true?  The  poor  fellow  did  not  know  what  to  do. 
To  approve  of  my  preaching  was  something  he  did  not 
wish  to  do.  To  deny  the  truth  of  what  I  was  saying  he 
could  not  do  since  it  was  a  self-evident  fact.  H  finally 
decided  to  withdraw  from  the  window  and  turned  round 
to  the  people  near  him  exclaiming:  ^'Yamos  embora, 
mens  filhos!"  (Let  us  go  away,  my  children.)  But 
one  man  shouted  back  to  him  quite  indignantly:  **Eu 
nao  sou  filho  de  padre.''    (I  am  not  the  child  of  a 


132  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

priest!)  To  be  called  a  child  of  a  priest  is  a  very 
degrading  term. 

I  thought  the  priest  had  left  for  good,  but  when 
the  meeting  was  over  and  I  was  ready  to  leave  for 
my  night's  rest,  just  as  I  was  stepping  out  of  the  hall, 
I  saw  the  priest  with  his  group  of  bandits  waiting  for 
me.  Fortunately  the  soldiers  had  not  left  and  it  was 
no  doubt  their  presence  that  saved  me  from  those 
assassins. 

Suspecting  that  the  priest  was  up  to  some  mischief 
and  anxious  to  know  if  he  was  armed  or  not,  I  used  the 
Brazilian  way  of  greeting  and  stepping  up  to  him  I 
greeted  and  embraced  him  and  found  out  that  he  had 
a  big  revolver  sticking  in  his  belt  under  his  cassock 
and  a  large  dagger  on  the  other  side. 

Taking  his  left  arm  in  mine  I  took  him  along  the 
way  I  was  going  and  immediately  he  began  to  insult 
me,  but  I  kept  quiet.  I  could  see  through  his  plan. 
He,  no  doubt,  thought  that  I  would  answer  him  back 
and  thus  give  him  an  opportunity  to  say  that  I  had  in- 
sulted him  and  his  religion  and  justify  the  murder  he 
was  contemplating.  You  can  imagine  how  hard  I 
prayed,  asking  the  Lord  to  keep  my  fist  and  tongue 
quiet. 

Meanwhile  the  bandits  were  trying  to  get  through 
the  wall  made  by  the  believers  round  about  me.  A  bad 
woman  came  very  near  me  and  I  could  see  a  small 
dagger  gleaming  in  her  right  hand.  I  asked  her  what 
she  was  up  to,  and  she  told  me  that  she  bislonged  to 
the  priest.  Taking  hold  of  her  with  my  left  hand  I 
told  her  that  she  would  be  safer  on  the  other  side  and 
pushed  her  on  to  the  priest's  side. 

How  I  escaped  assassination  that  night  I  cannot  tell, 


IN  PERNAMBUCO   (1900-1909)  133 

except  that  the  Lord  was  watching  and  delivering  me 
from  the  hands  of  the  assassins.  No  doubt  many  were 
praying  for  me,  not  only  in  Pernambuco  and  at  my 
home,  but  in  the  great  Southland  of  ours.  Our  God 
hears  and  answers  prayer  and  he  knows  how  to  take 
care  of  those  that  trust  in  him. 

Beaching  a  lamp  post  and  realizing  that  the  police 
were  near,  I  withdrew  my  arm  from  that  of  the  priest 
and  told  him:  ''You  certainly  tried  your  best  to  pro- 
voke me  to  anger,  but  I  saw  through  your  game.  You 
wanted  me  to  say  something  that  would  justify  you  in 
murdering  me.  But  I  want  you  to  know  this.  When 
I  determined  to  come  to  Limoeiro  I  counted  the  cost 
and  came  ready  to  lay  down  my  life  if  necessary.  The 
same  thing  can  be  said  about  all  of  these  crentes 
(believers).  But  even  if  you  succeed  in  killing  all  of 
us,  that  would  not  stop  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  in 
this  city.  There  are  thousands  and  millions  of  Bap- 
tists in  Brazil  as  well  as  in  the  United  States  of 
America  ready  to  take  my  place  if  I  should  fall  here. 
They  would  gladly  lay  down  their  lives,  if  need  be, 
for  Christ's  kingdom  and  his  glory.'*    I  then  left  him. 

In  less  than  a  month  a  church  was  organized.  About 
the  end  of  thc^t  month  the  priest  committed  some  in- 
discretion with  a  young  lady  in  the  vestry  of  the 
Catholic  church  and  he  experienced  the  effect  of  the 
gospel  on  a  city  where  the  citizens  had  been  aroused 
by  the  preaching  of  that  gospel.  The  people  drove 
him  out  of  town  like  they  would  a  leper.  What  he  had 
tried  to  do  to  me  he  reaped  on  the  day  he  took  the  train, 
for  the  whole  population  turned  out  and  heaped  upon 
him  the  most  shameful  insults. 

A  year  afterwards  Dr.  and  Mrs.  T.  B.  Eay  visited 


134  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

the  same  city  and  spoke  in  the  same  theater  and  a 
group  of  the  best  citizens  offered  him  a  special  dinner 
at  the  best  hotel,  thus  manifesting  publicly  their  appre- 
ciation of  the  sending  of  the  gospel  light  to  that  place. 
And  today  that  city  and  the  whole  surrounding  neigh- 
borhood is  rejoicing  in  God-given  freedom  coming  from 
having  the  gospel  preached  to  them. 


CHAPTER  VI 

IN  MANY  PLACES 

Again  in  Bahia. — It  was  in  October  of  the  year  1909 
that  I  reached  Bahia  for  the  second  time.  There  were 
about  thirty  organized  churches  and  a  great  many  mis- 
sion stations.  The  greatest  drawback  to  the  work,  at 
that  time,  was  the  lack  of  competent  native  helpers, 
especially  trained  workers,  of  whom  there  was  not  even 
one  in  the  entire  Bahia  field. 

But  the  Spirit  of  God  was  working  and  using  them 
wonderfully  and  souls  were  being  saved. 

The  first  task  I  undertook  was  to  line  up  the  churches 
and  cultivate  in  them  the  apirit  of  self -development  and 
self-support.  To  accomplish  this  I  organized  a  State 
Board,  composed  chiefly  of  native  believers,  and  gave 
them  the  task  of  developing  the  churches  through  their 
own  native  pastors,  while  I  gave  myself  to  the  building 
up  of  the  Mission  stations. 

Over  One  Thousand  Souls  in  One  Year. — Nineteen 
hundred  and  eleven  will  always  be  remembered  as  one 
of  the  most  wonderful  years  in  the  Bahia  field. 

Availing  myself  of  the  good-will  of  our  Rio  Col- 
lege and  Seminary  teachers  who  volunteered  to  visit 
our  field  for  the  purpose  of  holding  Bible  institutes 
with  the  workers,  I  invited  Drs.  J.  W.  Shepard  and 
A.  B.  Langston  for  a  week's  special  meetings  in  Bahia, 
making  arrangements  for  the  presence  and  entertain- 
ment of  all  of  the  native  helpers  of  the  field. 

135 


136  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Before  the  Bible  Institute  began  we  had  a  workers' 
meeting  and  adopted  as  our  motto  for  the  year:  *'One 
Thousand  Souls  for  Christ."  This  objective  gave  great 
impulse  to  the  meetings  as  well  as  to  the  Bible  Institute 
which  was  a  great  success. 

As  soon  as  that  meeting  was  over  we  organized  our 
forces  and  adopted  the  following  program  and  plan 
of  action: 

1.  To  speak  to  some  unsaved  soul  at  least  once  every 
day; 

2.  To  pray  every  day  at  mid-day  for  the  conversion 
of  some  soul  to  whom  we  had  spoken  about  his  salva- 
tion; 

3.  To  give  a  Bible  or  New  Testament  to  every  neigh- 
bor in  whose  home  no  Bible  or  New  Testament  was  to 
be  found. 

These  resolutions  were  printed  on  cards  that  would 
fit  into  a  small  Bible  and  sent  out  to  all  of  the  workers. 
I  also  took  them  with  me  on  all  of  my  missionary  trips. 

I  never  traveled  so  much  as  during  that  year.  I 
visited  almost  every  church  and  mission  station  in  that 
great  State  of  Bahia,  holding  special  meetings  and  or- 
ganizing the  forces  for  the  great  campaign.  It  was  a 
great  and  glorious  year !  The  Lord  was  with  us  in  great 
power,  saving  souls  and  bringing  back  those  who  had 
been  drifting  away !  Thousands  of  Bibles  were  sold  and 
many  who  never  before  had  spoken  a  word  in  public  for 
the  Master  were  used  by  him  to  the  salvation  of  many. 

The  first  three  months  were  used  for  rallying  the 
forces.  The  second  quarter  we  went  from  place  to  place 
advising  and  training  for  the  campaign.  During  the 
months  of  July,  August  and  September  we  began  to 
draw  in  the  net,  holding  evangelistic  services  all  over 


IN  MANY  PLACES  137 

the  great  field.  By  the  end  of  December  of  that 
memorable  year  we  had  more  than  850  baptisms  re- 
ported and  more  than  150  ex-members  returned  to  fel- 
lowship. Besides  that  number  we  had  about  250  couples 
who  could  not  be  accepted  into  our  churches  because  of 
their  not  being  legally  married. 

At  our  annual  meeting  held  in  the  city  of  San  An- 
tonio, in  January  of  1912,  we  had  great  rejoicing  and 
wonderful  manifestations  of  the  power  of  God.  Dr. 
Entzminger,  editor  of  our  denominational  paper,  was 
present  and  reported  that  he  had  never  before  witnessed 
such  a  meeting  and  listened  to  such  a  wonderful  report. 

Gun  Shooting  at  Barra  de  Itabapoana. — "While  sta- 
tioned in  Bahia,  Bro.  L.  M.  Keno,  the  missionary  in 
charge  of  the  Victoria  Mission,  asked  me  to  look  after 
his  field  while  he  was  away  on  his  furlough  to  the  United 
States.  I  could  not  give  the  mission  much  of  my  time, 
as  I  had  over  forty  churches  and  over  100  out  stations 
to  look  after  in  the  Bahia  field.  All  I  did  was  to  take 
care  of  the  finances  and  advise  the  native  helpers  mostly 
through  correspondence.  However,  I  attended  the  an- 
nual meeting  at  the  Kio  Novo  Church,  where  the  Lord's 
presence  was  felt  and  souls  were  converted.  From  there 
I  went  to  a  new  preaching  place,  called  Barra  de  Ita- 
bapoana, situated  across  the  border  of  the  State  of 
Espirito  Santo.  I  was  entertained  in  the  home  of  the 
Chief  of  Police  who  was  the  father  of  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Eio  Novo  Church,  and  husband  of  one  of 
several  converts  I  had  the  privilege  of  baptizing.  Sun- 
day afternoon  about  3  P.  M.  the  baptismal  scene  took 
place,  witnessed  by  a  great  crowd.  The  preaching  ser- 
vice was  announced  for  seven  o'clock.  On  the  previous 
night  I  had  preached  in  the  home  of  one  of  the  converts 


138  A  MISSIONAEY  ADVENTUKE 

where  a  persecution  had  been  staged  by  a  group  of 
fanatics,  but  the  Chief  had  managed  to  disperse  this 
group.  Rumors  were  afloat  that  a  greater  persecution 
was  being  organized  for  the  Sunday  night  service.  I 
never  pay  much  attention  to  rumors,  knowing  by  experi- 
ence that  the  Lord  will  deliver  in  his  own  good  way  if 
he  so  desires.  Awaiting  the  development  of  affairs  I 
prepared  myself  for  the  work  on  hand. 

The  meeting  began  punctually  at  seven  with  a 
crowded  house.  The  native  pastor  began  the  service 
and  all  went  along  smoothly  until  I  stood  up  to  preach. 
A  shrill  whistle  was  heard  and  I  noticed  that  the  group 
standing  by  the  window  abandoned  the  place.  One 
woman,  a  brave  little  soul,  a  married  daughter  of  the 
Chief,  who,  though  not  a  Christian,  had  warned  me  of 
the  attack  and  begged  me  to  leave  the  place  before  it  was 
too  late,  placed  herself  and  her  two  little  children  in 
front  of  one  of  the  two  windows  and  dared  the  assassins 
to  shoot.  Soon  missiles  and  shots  began  flying  all 
around  the  building,  breaking  every  window  pane  and 
most  of  the  tiles  on  the  roof.  The  first  shot  seemed  to 
have  been  fired  at  me  and  struck  the  wall  about  an  inch 
above  my  head.  It  buried  itself  in  the  wall.  Only  one 
of  the  converts  was  wounded  in  a  limb,  though  the  room 
was  crowded  with  believers  and  friends. 

The  most  remarkable  happening  of  that  evening  was 
the  following:  As  soon  as  the  bandits  began  shooting, 
the  Chief,  an  elderly  man  of  over  sixty,  left  the  room 
to  remonstrate  with  the  assailants.  Seeing  him  leave  I 
ran  to  the  door,  ready  to  stand  by  him,  fearing  that  the 
bandits  would  injure  him.  But,  I  had  not  reached  the 
door  when  the  youngest  daughter  of  the  Chief,  a  young 
lady  of  about  20  or  21,  placed  herself  against  the  door 


IN  MANY  PLACES  139 

and  told  me  that  I  must  not  leave  the  room.  I  informed 
her  that  I  could  not  let  her  father  stay  outside  alone 
facing  a  mob  of  over  a  hundred  bandits. 

''They  won't  do  anything  to  my  father,"  she  said, 
"they  just  want  you."  I  did  not  see  it  that  way  and 
tried  my  best  to  get  by  her.  The  door  was  one  of 
those  old-fashioned  ones  with  the  upper  part  done  in 
lattice  work.  While  we  were  struggling,  she  trying  to 
keep  the  door  closed,  and  I,  doing  my  best  to  open  it, 
a  ball  came  tearing  through  the  lattice  work  passing 
between  our  two  heads.  Had  it  gone  a  little  more  to 
the  right  or  to  the  left  one  of  us  would  surely  have  been 
killed.  Oh,  how  wonderful  is  God's  power!  He  cer- 
tainly knows  how  to  protect  his  own. 

Dr.  T.  B,  Bay  Visits  Brazil. — One  of  the  greatest 
blessings  that  came  to  Brazil  in  1910  was  the  visit  of 
our  Foreign  Mission  representative.  Dr.  T.  B.  Eay. 
Never  before  had  Brazil  been  visited  by  any  representa- 
tive of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board.  Many  of  our  needs 
and  appeals  were  not  understood,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  the  members  of  our  Board  were  unable  to  realize 
the  vastness  of  the  field  and  the  importance  of  our  op- 
portunities. Then  there  were  also  very  important 
questions  to  be  discussed  with  the  missionaries.  The  mis- 
sionary, like  every  other  mortal  man,  has  his  own  way 
of  looking  at  certain  problems,  and  likes  to  have  his  own 
mode  of  thinking  prevail,  even  though  it  does  not  meet 
with  the  approval  of  everybody  else.  In  1910  the  Bra- 
zilian Baptists  had  a  great  many  problems,  some  very 
difficult  ones  to  solve.  Though  our  secretaries  are  not 
infallible,  nor  invested  with  powers  to  frighten  us  into 
their  way  of  thinking,  and  always  give  us  liberty  to 
carry  out  our  own  plans  and  ways  of  working,   yet 


140  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

every  missionary  realized  that  a  visit  of  a  representa- 
tive from  our  Board  would  be  of  great  help.  Such  a 
representative  would  necessarily  need  a  great  deal  of  wis- 
dom and  tact,  not  only  on  account  of  the  opposing  cur- 
rents that  he  would  find  but  also  because  of  the  Baptist 
principles  of  independence  and  self-government  that  he 
would  have  to  uphold. 

How  well  Dr.  Ray  fulfilled  his  mission  in  that  great 
crisis,  eternity  alone  will  prove.  It  was  certainly  re- 
markable the  way  he  managed  to  show  to  each  and  every 
missionary  his  duty  and  obligation,  satisfying  everyone 
without  infringing  upon  the  individual  rights  of  any- 
one. I  will  not  specify  the  subjects  that  were  discussed 
and  the  resolutions  that  were  adopted  because  it  is  all 
a  matter  of  record.  But  this  I  must  say:  Had  it  not 
been  for  the  tact  and  the  great  gift  of  harmonizing 
manifested  by  Dr.  Ray  the  great  Rio  de  Janeiro  College 
and  Seminary  would  have  suffered  terribly  and  perhaps 
been  crippled  in  its  u.sefulness  for  a  great  many  years. 
The  Carroll  Memorial  Publishing  House  also  owes,  un- 
der God,  its  present  status  and  worth  to  this  man  of 
God,  for  after  realizing  the  opportunities  of  such  an 
enterprise  in  such  a  great  field,  he  has  been  able  to 
counsel  our  Board  in  Richmond,  the  wisdom  of  placing 
it  on  a  basis  of  greater  usefulness. 

"Would  to  God  that  our  brethren  in  the  homeland 
could  see  their  way  clear  to  send  men  like  Dr.  Ray  or 
Dr.  Love  to  visit  the  mission  fields  that  thus  they  might 
obtain  a  personal  insight  into  the  needs  and  opportu- 
nities. 

It  was  my  privilege  to  accompany  Dr.  Ray  as  in- 
terpreter to  the  various  fields  and  note  the  great  effect 
upon  his  great  heart  and  soul  of  what  he  saw  and  heard 


IN  MANY  PLACES  141 

everywhere  he  went.  Those  were  never-to-be  forgotten 
days.  Not  only  will  the  Brazilian  believers  never  forget 
that  visit,  but  only  eternity  will  reveal  the  great  results 
that  came  from  it. 

In  the  Arroz  Novo  Church,  of  Bahia,  forty-eight 
came  forward  weeping  and  touched  by  the  Spirit  of  God 
after  he  gave  a  stirring  message.  In  the  Espirito  Santo 
field,  young  Almir  Goncalves,  Brother  Reno's  right- 
hand  man  and  perhaps  best  native  helper,  decided  to 
give  himself  to  the  Lord  after  a  talk  with  Dr.  Ray. 
The  visit  we  made  to  the  President  of  the  Republic, 
where  we  were  so  cordially  received  and  which  has 
been  of  such  a  wonderful  blessing  to  the  cause  of  Christ 
in  Brazil,  giving  to  the  Baptists  a  national  standing 
and  character,  will  stand  forth  as  one  of  the  historical 
sign-posts  in  the  history  of  our  work. 

Escaping  the  Titanic. — In  the  beginning  of  1912  I  ob- 
tained permission  from  our  Board  to  go  home  for  a 
much  needed  rest.  I  made  my  return  trip  by  way  of 
Europe,  touching  Portugal,  where  I  visited  the  work 
the  Brazilian  Baptists  were  carrying  on  their  Foreign 
Mission  Enterprise  and  attended  to  some  business  for 
the  Publishing  House. 

I  left  Bahia  about  the  end  of  the  month  of  Febru- 
ary, reaching  Portugal  in  safety.  I  preached  in  the 
cities  of  Lisbon  and  Oporto.  The  Lord  gave  us  a  few 
souls  that  decided  to  follow  the  Master.  One  of  the 
best  results  of  that  visit  to  Portugal  was  a  talk  I  had 
with  dear  Brother  Joseph  Jones,  a  Christian  gentleman 
and  a  staunch  Baptist,  a  member  of  Spurgeon's  Taber- 
nacle, who  was  living  in  Oporto.  He  imagined  that  the 
Southern  Baptists  were  of  the  hardshell  type  and  was, 
therefore,   unwilling   to   join   in  with   us.     It   was   a 


142  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

pleasure  to  be  able  to  enlighten  him  on  our  true  posi- 
tion and  enlist  his  great  gifts  and  sympathies  on  behalf 
of  our  work  there  to  which  he  has  proved  himself  a 
great  power  and  blessing. 

From  Portugal  I  went  to  London  to  visit  the  Mild- 
may  Mission  to  the  Jews,  my  former  home,  and  some  old 
friends  and  colleagues.  How  my  heart  rejoices  when- 
ever I  can  go  back  to  this  great  center  of  work,  where 
so  many  of  God's  ancient  people  are  led  to  the  light 
and  knowledge  of  the  true  Savior  and  Christ !  Though 
most  of  the  old  companions  have  disappeared,  some 
into  eternity,  there  are  still  a  few  that  remind  me  of 
the  times  gone  by  and  with  whom  it  is  a  privilege  to 
have  spiritual  communion. 

It  was  while  going  from  Lisbon  to  Southampton  that 
a  very  remarkable  thing  happened  to  me  reminding  me 
once  more  of  the  loving,  protecting  power  of  our  heav- 
enly Father.  No  doubt  many  were  praying  for  me 
both  in  the  homeland  and  in  Brazil  and  the  good  Lord, 
as  is  his  custom,  hears  and  answers  the  supplications 
of  his  loved  ones. 

Just  as  I  was  ready  to  embark  in  Lisbon  on  board 
the  "Avon,"  telegrams  were  posted  telling  of  terrific 
storms  that  were  raging  the  dangerous  bay  of  Biscay. 
Several  steamers  were  reported  as  having  been  lost 
along  the  coast  of  France.  I  confess  that  my  heart 
failed  me  when  the  time  came  for  me  to  take  the  boat, 
as  I  had  had  sufficient  experience  with  stormy  weather 
in  that  very  same  famous  bay  when  I  passed  through 
it  in  1889.  I  had  a  stop-over  ticket  and  could  easily 
delay  my  journey  for  a  w^eek  and  go  on  another  boat. 
I  hesitated  and  finally  took  the  matter  to  the  Lord  in 
prayer.    I  used  to  carry  with  me  the  W.  M.  U.  Prayer 


IN  MANY  PLACES  143 

Calendar  and  every  day  would  look  up  the  subject  for 
prayer  as  well  as  the  text  for  the  day.  Soliciting  light 
and  guidance  from  on  high,  I  looked  up  the  calendar 
and  found  for  that  day  the  following  text,  given  as 
if  in  direct  answer  to  my  inquiries: 

**He  knoweth  thy  walking  through  this  great  wilder- 
ness ;  these  forty  years  the  Lord  thy  God  has  been  with 
thee ;  thou  has  lacked  nothing. ' '    Deut.  7 :  2. 

Now  notice  what  happened.  I  had  a  fairly  good  voy- 
age to  Southampton,  though  the  sea  was  rough  and 
our  boat  was  greatly  harassed.  On  reaching  London, 
where  I  had  previously  secured  a  passage  to  New  York 
on  one  of  the  cheaper  vessels  of  the  "White  Star  line,  I 
was  informed  that,  on  account  of  the  coal  strike,  the 
sailings  of  several  of  the  steamers  of  the  "VYhite  Star 
line  had  been  suppressed,  and  the  passengers  would 
have  the  privilege  of  changing  their  boats,  taking  either 
the  ''Majestic,"  due  to  leave  in  the  first  week  of  April, 
or  the  ''Titanic,"  scheduled  for  the  following  week. 
The  desire  to  travel  on  the  maiden  trip  of  the  "Titanic" 
was  great,  but,  having  finished  my  business  in  London, 
and  being  homesick  for  wife  and  family  that  I  had  not 
seen  for  years,  I  resolved  to  take  advantage  of  the  first 
boat,  and  arrived  home  just  a  day  before  the  terrible 
news  of  the  sinking  of  the  "Titanic"  horrified  the 
world.  Had  I  delayed  in  Portugal  one  week  I  would 
have  been  forced  to  take  the  "Titanic,"  and  only  God 
knows  what  would  have  happened  to  me.  A  brother 
to  whom  I  related  this  incident  told  me  that  the  Lord 
would  have  saved  me  on  the  "Titanic,"  had  I  been  on 
board  that  fated  vessel.  This  might  be  very  true,  but 
I  prefer  not  to  have  gone  through  that  terrible  ex- 
perience. 


144  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

In  the  Carroll  Memorial  Publishing  Plant. — One  of 
the  most  interesting  pages  in  the  history  of  our  Baptist 
work  in  Brazil  is  that  of  the  printed  page.  Some  day 
someone  more  capable  will  do  it  justice,  for  in  this 
chapter  it  is  impossible  to  describe  it  as  it  ought  to  be 
done.  However,  a  word  as  to  its  beginnings  in  Brazil 
will  not  be  out  of  place. 

From  the  little  information  on  hand  it  may  be  said 
that  the  first  one  to  establish  a  small  printing  plant 
in  Brazil  was  the  great  missionary,  Dr.  Z.  -C.  Taylor. 
He  had  help  in  this  attempt  from  Mrs.  Osborne,  of 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  who  thought  the  '^ Baptist  Basket'* 
collected  funds  for  that  object.  That  little  press  estab- 
lished in  Brazil  grew  to  a  considerable  plant  and  printed 
some  very  valuable  books  and  thousands  upon  thousands 
of  tracts  that  were  distributed  broadcast  all  over  the 
country. 

Another  little  press  was  afterwards  established  in 
Campos,  by  me,  without  any  help  from  anyone.  A  small 
paper  was  edited,  entitled  ''Boas  Novas''  (''Good 
News"),  which  was  sent  free  to  thousands  of  persons, 
especially  to  those  in  high  places,  as  well  as  priests.  It 
did  an  effective  work,  stirring  up  inquiries  as  well  as 
bitter  opposition  especially  from  the  clerical  element. 
In  1900,  when  Dr.  Entzminger  moved  to  the  South,  a 
few  missionaries  met  in  Rio  and  combined  upon  a  unified 
paper  and  publishing  enterprise,  selecting  Brother  Entz- 
minger as  its  leader.  Both  presses,  that  of  Bahia  and 
Campos,  were  merged  into  one  and  moved  to  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  The  Jornal  Baptista  was  started  and  has  been 
kept  up  as  the  denominational  voice  ever  since. 

In  1910  during  the  visit  of  Dr.  T.  B.  Ray  to  Brazil, 
the  brethren  decided  to  enlarge  the  publishing  enter- 


IN  MANY  PLACES  145 

prise,  dividing  it  into  three  departments:  The  Edi- 
torial, the  Business,  and  the  Colportage  Departments. 
Dr.  Entzminger  was  chosen  as  head  of  the  Editorial 
Department,  and  I  was  invited  to  take  charge  of  the 
Colportage  and  field  work. 

In  1912  was  inaugurated  the  Judson  Centennial  Cam- 
paign and  the  Publishing  House  received  the  great 
blessing  of  a  gift  of  thirty  thousand  dollars  made  by- 
Mrs.  J.  S.  Carroll,  of  Troy,  Alabama,  in  memory  of 
her  deceased  husband.  It  was  a  noble  gift  and  it  has 
helped  us  to  place  the  publishing  enterprise  on  a  solid 
basis  for  progress  and  usefulness. 

That  in  brief  is  the  historical  beginning  of  our  Bap- 
tist Press  in  Brazil.  It  was  in  1913  that  I  was  called 
upon  to  give  myself  to  this  department  of  our  work. 

On  account  of  lack  of  helpers,  for  a  good  part  of 
the  time  I  had  to  do  the  entire  work  of  the  house.  Dr. 
Entzminger,  the  head  of  the  Editorial  Department, 
left  Brazil  for  his  furlough.  The  Business  Manager 
had  not  made  his  appearance  on  the  field  and  so  I  had 
to  take  up  all  the  departments  of  the  house.  For  many 
months  I  had  to  be  editor  and  business  manager  as  well 
as  field  worker.  It  was  no  easy  job,  considering  the 
conditions  we  were  in,  the  lack  of  machinery,  as  weU  as 
lack  of  capital. 

I  worked  every  day  from  early  morning  until  late  at 
night,  rising  about  four  and  retiring  at  midnight.  The 
Lord,  however,  helped  and  his  presence  cheered  me  on. 
One  of  the  most  agreeable  things  that  I  remember  of 
those  days  is  the  hearty  cooperation  of  nearly  every 
man  on  the  field.  Dr.  J.  J.  Taylor,  Brethren  D.  L. 
Hamilton  and  S.  L.  Watson  helped  on  the  Sunday-school 
literature,   and  every  one  of  the  missionaries  sent  in 


146  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

splendid  contributions  to  our  paper.  Brother  and  Mrs. 
Reno  were  indefatigable  in  their  help  with  the  literature 
for  the  children's  papers.  It  was  a  great  joy  to  work 
with  and  for  the  brotherhood. 

Then  came  the  great  gift  of  Mrs.  J.  S.  Carroll  which 
enabled  us  to  move  out  of  the  narrow  quarters  in  which 
we  were  working  and  begin  realizing  the  great  dream 
of  a  publishing  house  worthy  of  Brazil  and  the  great 
Baptist  hosts.  What  the  final  outcome  of  it  all  will  be 
no  one  can  foresee.  The  Baptists  in  Brazil  have  the 
greatest  opportunity  of  establishing  one  of  the  greatest 
mission  enterprises  in  the  world.  As  for  myself  I  hope 
to  be  able  to  help  it  on  to  its  realization. 

Colportage  Work. — One  of  the  branches  of  the  work 
of  the  Field  Secretary  is  the  colportage  work.  It  is 
really  one  of  the  most  fruitful,  as  well  as  exciting. 
Whenever  I  had  an  opportunity  to  leave  the  Publishing 
House  I  would  fill  my  satchel  full  of  Bibles  and  books 
and  sell  them  as  I  went  along,  in  the  trains,  on  board 
the  vessels,  in  the  villages,  cities  as  well  as  farms.  En- 
dowed with  a  natural  gift  for  selling  (due  no  doubt  to 
my  Jewish  ancestry)  I  always  managed  to  sell  all  the 
books  I  carried  along,  both  Bibles,  books,  tracts  or  any- 
thing else.  How  heart-hungry  the  people  in  Brazil 
are  for  the  Word  of  God.  Of  course  the  Bible  is  the 
most  difQcult  book  to  sell  because  the  priests  tell  the 
people  that  our  Bibles  are  false. 

One  of  the  first  things  I  do  when  I  want  to  sell  a 
Bible  is  to  tell  them  plainly  why  the  priests  prohibit 
the  reading  of  the  Bible,  calling  their  attention  to  what 
the  Bible  teaches  about  the  priests  and  their  doings. 
As  a  general  rule,  the  buyer  will  get  interested  and 
listen  and,  if  he  is  sincere,  will  buy  the  precious  book 


IN  MANY  PLACES  147 

and  read  it  for  his  souFs  salvation.  I  never  give  away 
a  Bible,  for  that  would  only  confirm  them  in  their  idea 
that  our  Bibles  are  what  the  priest  tells  them.  Oh,  the 
wonderful  times  I  have  discussing  the  doctrines  we  teach 
and  the  many  falsehoods  the  priests  spread  about 
Luther  and  the  Protestants !  But  as  with  patience  and 
tact  one  answers  all  the  questions  and  finally  sees  a  ray 
of  genuine  inquiry  appear  on  the  face  of  the  inquirer, 
what  a  joy  it  is  to  lead  them  gently  to  the  feet  of  the 
Master  and  teach  them  how  to  get  in  touch  with  him 
who  is  able  to  convict,  convert  and  save ! 

I  wish  I  could  repeat  some  of  the  conversations  I 
have  had  with  people  as  we  traveled  together.  That, 
of  course,  is  impossible,  as  it  would  fill  all  the  available 
space  in  this  book.  After  thirty  years'  experience  in 
that  kind  of  work  I  can  unhesitatingly  affirm  that  there 
is  nothing  that  satisfied  so  thoroughly  a  hungry  soul 
as  the  Holy  Book  of  God.  Say  what  you  please  about 
Catholics,  but  it  is  the  Word  of  God  that  they  want. 
The  husks  of  ceremonialism  and  tradition  do  not  satisfy 
them  and  never  can  satisfy.  Give  them  the  Bible,  a 
plain  *  *  Thus  saith  the  Lord ! ' '  and  they  will  open  their 
mouths  wide  and  their  hearts  also. 

At  other  times,  however,  one  meets  an  enemy,  or  a 
fanatic  or  perhaps  an  interested  Catholic,  whose  busi- 
ness and  life  is  linked  up  with  the  Catholic  church  (and 
only  God  knows  how  many  there  are  in  the  clutch  of 
the  Catholic  machine)  then  you  have  to  look  out  and 
thank  God  if  you  escape  with  a  whole  skin.  Just  one 
example : 

Insulted  ly  a  Rich  Farmer. — It  was  in  the  State  of 
Pernambuco.  I  was  traveling  in  a  railroad  carriage 
crowded  with  passengers.     Before   offering  the   books 


148  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

for  sale  I  distributed  a  small  leaflet  not  only  to  whet 
the  reading  appetite  but  also  to  see  how  many  were 
able  to  read.  A  priest  was  in  the  same  car  and  he 
accepted  the  tract  gratefully  and  so  also  did  all  the 
other  passengers.  As  I  was  returning  to  my  seat,  one 
man,  a  rich  landowner,  whose  son  happened  to  be  a 
leading  politician,  tore  the  tract  in  pieces  and  threw 
them  into  my  face,  saying  in  a  very  provoking  tone: 

* '  You  had  better  go  and  plant  sugar-cane  on  my  farm 
than  do  this  kind  of  work." 

Not  losing  my  calmness,  I  answered  him  very  politely, 
but  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  everyone  in  the  car: 

''Thank  you,  sir,  for  the  offer  of  a  job  which  I  will 
remember  whenever  I  may  need  it;  but  just  now  you 
see  I  am  pretty  well  occupied  teaching  a  few  necessary 
lessons. ' ' 

This  made  him  angry  and  he  began  calling  me  bad 
names  and  using  very  insulting  terms.  I  paid  no  more 
attention  to  him,  but  went  on  speaking  to  the  other  pas- 
sengers, selling  or  rather  explaining  to  them  about  the 
Bible.  However,  I  noticed  that  some  of  the  passengers 
who  knew  me  went  to  him  and  informed  him  that  I 
was  not  such  an  ignorant  individual  as  he  imagined 
but  the  missionary  in  charge  of  that  field  and  in  daily 
discussion  with  the  Catholic  hierarchy.  The  poor  man 
was  greatly  disturbed  and  could  not  continue  his  trip 
for  very  shame.  At  the  nearest  station  he  left  the 
carriage  and  thus  left  me  free  to  sell  every  book  I  had 
brought  with  me. 

The  Antidote  for  Spiritual  Blindness. — A  very  inter- 
esting story  was  related  to  me  by  one  of  our  colporters. 
I  always  tell  them  to  be  very  careful  how  they  approach 
a  priest  and  never  provoke  him  to  anger,  but  be  very 


IN  MANY  PLACES  149 

polite  and  civil  to  him.  Very  few  priests,  however, 
know  the  Bible.  They  are  taught  how  to  answer  all 
the  arguments  about  the  Bible,  but  are  not  allowed 
to  read  it.  Rome  knows  the  effect  such  reading  would 
have  upon  a  sincere  soul  and  therefore  the  Book  is  not 
studied  in  the  Brazilian  Seminaries,  except  in  abridged 
and  adulterated  forms.  This  colporter  met  one  day  the 
Vatican  Envoy,  as  he  was  passing  through  one  of  the 
streets  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  in  his  carriage.  He  felt 
the  impuse  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  offer  him  a  copy  of 
the  Bible.  Stopping  the  carriage  in  which  the  Envoy 
was  reclining  comfortably,  he  looked  into  the  old  man's 
face  and  said : 

*' Excellency,  will  you  allow  me  to  offer  you  one  of 
the  most  powerful  antidotes  for  spiritual  blindness?'* 

''And  what  can  that  be,  my  son?"  asked  the  Envoy. 

Taking  out  of  his  satchel  a  beautiful  copy  of  the 
Bible  he  presented  it  to  the  man  who  took  hold  of  it, 
looked  through  its  pages  and  then  very  gently  returned 
it  to  the  colporter  saying: 

''Thank  you,  my  son;  I  have  a  copy  of  the  same 
book  in  my  home  and  I  can  assure  you  that  I  use  it 
very  often  myself  and  it  has  helped  me  wonderfully." 

The  colporter  left  the  carriage  delighted  with  the 
conversation. 

I  could  naturally  go  on  filling  these  pages  with  similar 
stories  and  experiences,  but  must  hasten  on. 

Work  Among  Prisoners. — I  believe  that  the  Lord  put 
me  in  prison  for  ten  long  days,  as  related  above,  just 
to  get  me  interested  in  the  sad  conditions  of  the  poor 
prisoners  in  Brazil.  During  the  ten  days  I  was  kept 
incommunicable  I  tried  my  very  best  to  obtain  a  book 
or  a  copy  of  a  paper  to  read,  but  nothing  could  be 


150  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

found  in  the  prison,  though  there  must  have  been  nearly 
five  hundred  prisoners  in  that  establishment.  I  then 
and  there  resolved  to  do  something  for  the  prisoners  if 
ever  I  had  an  opportunity. 

That  opportunity  came  when  I  joined  the  forces  of 
the  Publishing  House  and  a  blessed  experience  it  has 
been  to  me  as  well  as  a  great  source  of  blessing  to  the 
Publishing  House.  Many  a  hungry  and  sin-sick  soul, 
lying  in  darkness  and  misery  and  spiritual  death,  has 
thanked  God  for  that  blessed  thought.  Today  we  are 
supplying,  with  the  help  of  nearly  every  Baptist  in 
Brazil,  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty  prisons  with  our 
weekly  paper,  and  Sunday-school  literature.  We  have 
also  a  special  fund  for  sending  copies  of  the  Bible  and 
New  Testaments  and  Hymn  books  to  the  prisoners. 

In  many  of  the  State  prisons  regular  Bible  classes 
are  held  every  Sunday  where  our  literature  is  used 
and  where  the  blessed  results  in  changed  lives  have 
been  a  surprise  to  the  authorities.  The  Director  of 
the  Bahia  Penitentiary  declared  in  his  annual  report 
to  the  Governor  that  the  work  done  by  the  Baptists 
in  his  establishment  is  telling  wonderfully  upon  the 
behavior  of  the  prisoners.  Oh,  the  wonderful  letters 
that  have  come  to  us  from  all  over  the  country  from 
these  dungeons  of  sin  and  misery  untold!  Yes,  the 
blood  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is  still  powerful  to  save  and 
his  word,  a  mighty  agent  that  convinces  and  convicts 
as  well  as  heals  and  consoles. 

Just  a  few  illustrations: 

Flea  of  a  Father  in  Frison. — One  poor  father  who  is 
separated  from  his  loved  ones  for  a  good  many  years, 
in  prison  for  a  crime  that  wiU  keep  him  for  a  good 
many  years  to  come,  wrote  me  begging  me  to  send  the 


IN  MANY  PLACES  151 

paper  and  the  Bible  to  his  loved  ones,  saying,  in  very 
touching  language: 

**Senhor  Solomon,  please  send  your  paper  and  a  copy 
of  the  Holy  Book  to  my  loved  ones.  I  have  a  wife  and 
two  children  and  I  do  not  want  them  to  come  to  this 
place.'' 

We  sent  the  New  Testament  and  a  copy  of  our  weekly 
paper.  We  have  had  very  good  news  from  both  the 
prisoner  and  his  family. 

Conversion  of  a  Farmer. — A  well-to-do  farmer  had 
a  quarrel  with  a  political  boss  of  his  place  and  it  was 
not  long  after  that  a  false  charge  was  brought  against 
the  farmer  and  he  was  taken  to  jail.  The  local  con- 
gregation was  supplying  that  jail  with  a  copy  of  our 
weekly  paper  as  well  as  copies  of  the  Gospels.  This 
farmer  finding  time  heavy  on  his  hands  looked  about 
for  something  to  read.  In  the  waste  box  or  can  he  saw 
a  piece  of  white  paper.  He  pulled  it  out  of  the  can, 
and,  not  having  anything  else  to  do,  began  reading  it. 

He  had  never  before  heard  a  gospel  sermon,  though 
he  had  heard  something  about  the  Protestants.  The 
paper  he  extracted  from  the  basket  was  a  copy  of  the 
*'Jornal  Baptista,"  our  weekly  religious  paper  pub- 
lished in  Kio.  After  reading  the  paper  through  and 
liking  the  articles  he  began  to  search  for  more  and 
found  in  the  same  can  a  copy  of  the  Gospel  of  Saint 
Mark. 

The  Catholics  are  taught  by  the  priests  that  Saint 
Mark  is  a  very  powerful  saint  with  the  devil,  and  is 
capable  of  making  the  evil  one  obedient  to  his  bidding. 
Imagine  the  delight  of  the  farmer  in  finding  such  a 
valuable  little  book.  But  he  was  soon  disillusioned. 
Instead  of  the  false  teachings  and  worthless  supersti- 


152  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

tions  he  found  the  wonderful  story  of  the  Life  of  Christ. 
He  read  the  Gospel  several  times  and  soon  the  teach- 
ing of  Christ  gripped  him. 

The  Sunday  following  the  believers  visiting  the  jail 
brought  a  new  copy  of  the  paper  and  he  informed  them 
the  good  that  the  reading  had  done  him.  Not  to  pro- 
long this  story,  I  wish  to  state  that  the  man  was  re- 
leased and  his  first  visit  was  to  the  house  of  God.  Soon 
he  made  his  public  profession  of  faith  and  when  last 
I  saw  him  he  was  the  deacon  of  the  church  rejoicing  not 
only  in  his  Lord  and  Savior,  but  also  in  the  salvation 
of  his  loved  ones,  who  had  joined  the  same  church.  To 
the  building  of  the  beautiful  new  house  of  worship  in 
that  city,  he  was  one  of  the  leading  contributors. 

A  Bible  Class  in  the  Bahia  Penitentiary. — In  the 
Bahia  Penitentiary  there  is  held  a  Sunday  school  and 
Bible  class  every  Sunday  afternoon.  There  are  about 
thirty-five  that  come  together  to  study  the  Bible,  sing 
hymns  and  pray.  Every  time  I  pass  through  the  city 
of  Bahia  it  is  one  of  my  great  privileges  to  preach 
to  the  prisoners  in  that  penitentiary,  of  whom  there  are 
about  350.  We  never  baptize  any  that  profess  conver- 
sion until  they  complete  their  sentence  and  are  released 
and  then  if  they  come  and  present  themselves  to  the 
church,  making  a  public  profession  of  their  faith,  they 
are  baptized.  One  of  these  men  completed  his  time  and 
presented  himself  to  the  church,  where  he  was  received, 
having  given  an  excellent  testimony  as  to  his  change  of 
life.  We  found  him  a  job  and  the  first  money  he  made 
he  sent  it  to  me  and  wrote  the  following: 

*' Please  convert  this  amount  into  New  Testaments 
and  send  them  to  my  father.     I  am  going  back  home 


IN  MANY  PLACES  153 

to  tell  my  people  and  old  chums  what  the  Lord  has 
done  for  me." 

That  man  walked  on  foot  from  the  city  of  Bahia  to 
his  home  town,  a  distance  of  about  one  hundred  leagues 
(three  hundred  miles),  just  to  tell  them  of  the  Lord's 
mercy,  love  and  compassion  for  his  soul. 

And  so  I  might  continue  through  a  great  many  pages 
relating  such  interesting  incidents.  The  letters  that 
come  to  the  Publishing  House  from  all  over  Brazil  are 
numerous  and  very  touching.  It  is  a  great  work  and 
the  Lord  is  using  it  greatly  to  his  honor  and  glory. 

God's  Blessing  Upon  Our  Press. — Just  a  few  illustra- 
tions of  what  tiny  leaflets,  copies  of  our  weekly  paper 
or  the  promiscuous  distribution  of  tracts,  have  accom- 
plished in  the  regeneration  of  Brazil. 

That  is  one  thing  our  native  converts  love  to  do,  viz.  ; 
distribute  tracts.  Some  of  our  churches  have  special 
funds  for  that  purpose  and,  every  Sunday,  hundreds 
of  tracts  are  handed  over  to  the  members  who  use  them 
in  every  way  imaginable,  as  they  go  to  their  work 
in  railroad  carriages,  or  street  cars,  in  the  work  shop 
or  in  the  Government  offices.  A  good  many  business 
men  will  slip  a  tract  into  the  bundle  of  goods  and  will 
even  wrap  up  bundles  in  copies  of  our  weekly  paper 
so  that  the  gospel  message  may  be  read  by  someone 
in  the  home.  In  the  Campos  Mission  the  believers  or- 
ganized a  tract  distribution  society  offering  as  a  pre- 
mium a  book  to  anyone  proving  to  having  read  ten 
leaflets.  This  society  was  maintained  through  the  free 
will  offering  of  believers. 

Saved  From  Suicide. — Jose  Domingues  was  a  bad 
character.  Having  married  money  he  squandered  every- 
thing he  had,   by  gambling,   drinking   and  with   bad 


154  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

women.  This  brought  him  to  poverty  and  disgrace. 
One  day,  disgusted  with  himself  and  the  life  he  was 
leading,  bankrupt,  with  a  life  in  jail  staring  him  in 
the  face,  he  looked  for  his  revolver  in  one  of  the  drawers 
of  his  desk.  A  small  leaflet,  that  had  been  handed  to 
him  while  he  was  passing  through  the  streets  and  that 
he  had  thrown  into  the  drawer,  stared  him  in  the  face. 
Its  title  printed  in  bold  type,  ''Como  Orar"  (How  to 
Pray)  challenged  his  attention.  Forgetting  the  object 
of  his  search  he  sat  down  and  read  that  small,  four- 
paged  leaflet.  It  was  a  revelation  to  him.  After  read- 
ing it  over  several  times  he  fell  on  his  knees  and  with 
tears  streaming  down  his  face  he  pleaded  for  pardon 
and  peace.  Jose  became  a  great  spiritual  power  in  the 
kingdom  of  God  in  the  Bahia  District.  Many  a  soul 
was  led  to  the  feet  of  the  Master  through  the  testi- 
mony often  given  with  repentant  tears  streaming  down 
the  face  of  this  dear  man  of  God. 

Fruit  After  Twenty  Years. — One  little  leaflet  that  has 
been  extensively  used  of  God  was  written  by  an  ex- 
priest,  the  first  native  convert  that  came  into  our  first 
Baptist  organization  in  Brazil.  Its  title  was  "Three 
Reasons  Why  I  Left  the  Church  of  Rome."  It  is  very 
popular  among  all  denominations  and  has  been  instru- 
mental in  bringing  about  the  conversion  of  many  souls. 
Thousands,  if  not  hundreds  of  thousands  of  these  tracts 
have  been  printed  and  scattered  broadcast  all  over  the 
country.  As  the  missionaries  go  up  and  down  the  land 
they  come  upon  remarkable  results  from  some  of  these 
tracts.  Here  I  give  one  related  to  me  by  our  mission- 
ary, D.  F.  Crosland,  of  the  Minas  field. 

He  was  trying  to  reach  a  certain  village  late  one 
afternoon,   but   providentially   missed   the   road.      Too 


IN  MANY  PLACES  155 

late  to  return  to  the  place  he  had  left,  he  resolved  to 
find  a  night's  lodging  at  a  neighboring  farm.  The 
inhabitants  of  the  State  of  Minas  are  known  to  be  very 
fanatical  and  he  advised  his  companion  to  be  very- 
careful  as  to  their  testimony  and  conversation. 

On  reaching  a  farm,  he  asked  for  a  night's  lodging 
for  himself  and  his  companions  and  they  were  heartily 
received.  The  Brazilians  are  very  hospitable,  and  are 
usually  glad  to  receive  visitors.  Soon  the  farmer  began 
to  inquire  of  Brother  Crosland  as  to  his  life  and  busi- 
ness. He  informed  the  man  that  he  was  a  Protestant 
preacher.  A  joyous,  happy  and  anxious  countenance 
stared  into  Brother  Crosland 's  face  as  the  farmer  in 
a  trembling  voice  asked: 

*'Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  are  a  preacher  of  the 
Holy  Book  of  God?'^ 

Brother  Crosland,  surprised  and  thinking  the  man 
was  about  ready  to  drive  them  out,  answered  in  the 
affirmative. 

Then  the  man  laid  hold  of  Brother  Crosland 's  shoul- 
der and  asked  him  in  an  anxious  and  yet  yearning  tone : 

**And  have  you  got  God's  book  with  you?" 

For  an  answer  Brother  Crosland  opened  his  suit- 
case and  showed  him  not  only  one  Bible  but  a  good 
many  Bibles. 

*'At  last,  at  last!"  shouted  the  man  as  tears,  came 
streaming  down  his  happy  face.  ''For  twenty  years  I 
have  been  seeking  and  longing  for  this  book  and  praised 
be  the  Name  of  the  Lord  he  has  given  it  to  me  at 
last." 

He  then  ran  into  his  bedroom  and  out  of  a  chest  in 
which  he  kept  locked  his  treasures  and  valuable  docu- 
ments he  brought  forth  a  copy  of  that  little  tract: 


156  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

''Three  Reasons  Why  I  Left  the  Church  of  Rome," 
and  told  Brother  Crosland  the  following: 

''Twenty  years  ago  I  went  to  Diamantina,  a  distance 
of  about  sixty  leagues  (one  hundred  and  eighty  miles) 
to  sell  some  cattle.  While  standing  in  the  market  place 
a  foreigner  gave  me  that  tract.  I  put  it  in  my  pocket 
and  on  my  return  home  began  reading  it.  The  tract 
stirred  my  heart.  What  troubled  me  most  were  the 
references  to  the  Bible.  I  wanted  to  verify  the  texts, 
but  had  no  copy  and  did  not  know  where  to  obtain  one. 
I  searched  everywhere  and  asked  of  everybody,  but  no 
one  had  a  copy  of  the  Bible.  Finally  I  went  to  the 
priest  and  asked  L'm  to  loan  me  his  Bible,  but  he  also 
had  none.  And  so  I  have  been  hungering  and  longing 
for  a  Bible.  This  tract  I  have  read  to  almost  every 
person  in  the  neighborhood  and  all  are  anxiously  await- 
ing the  arrival  of  l  Bible. ' ' 

Brother  Crosland  remained  in  the  home  of  that 
farmer  for  sometime  and  today  a  great  spiritual  or- 
ganization exists  there  and  Bibles  enough  to  satisfy  the 
hunger  and  thirst  of  hundreds  of  souls. 

Organizing  Churches  and  Missions. — The  far  west 
of  Brazil,  like  our  own  far  west  of  former  times,  at- 
tracted men  and  women  from  all  over  Brazil.  Some 
believers,  persecuted  on  account  of  their  faith,  had  to 
move  into  the  far  west  and  wherever  they  went  their 
life  and  behavior  would  tell  and  ere  long  small  groups 
of  interested  persons  would  gather  together  for  the 
study  of  the  Word  of  God. 

Such  a  group  existed  in  the  city  of  Corumba,  State 
of  Matto  Grosso,  the  most  important  commercial  center 
of  that  great  State.  This  group  was  anxious  to  organize 
themselves  into  a  church,  but  did  not  know  what  de- 


IN  MANY  PLACES  157 

nomination  to  join.  Some  had  come  from  the  State  of 
Rio  Grande  do  Sul  where  the  Episcopalians  lead  in  the 
evangelical  work.  Others  had  been  in  touch  with  Pres- 
byterianism.  They  did  not  know  what  to  do.  One  of 
the  Baptists  present  ventured  to  call  their  attention  to 
an  article  published  in  the  Jornal  Baptista,  our  weekly 
paper  printed  and  edited  in  Eio.  In  that  article  an 
outline  of  our  faith  and  practice  was  given  in  very 
simple  language.  They  read  it,  prayed  about  it  and 
finally  resolved  to  telegraph  to  the  editor  and  ask  him 
to  visit  them  at  their  expense  and  help  them  organize 
into  a  Christian  organization.  Brother  Entzminger,  the 
editor  of  the  paper,  not  being  able  to  go,  called  on 
Brother  A.  B.  Deter  to  make  the  trip.  He  remained 
with  those  people  for  a  month,  taught  them  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Christ  Jesus;  baptized  over  fifty  adults;  or- 
ganized them  into  a  Baptist  organization,  and  returned 
to  his  work  in  Sao  Paulo,  gloriously  elated.  The  work 
has  continued  since  then  to  grow  and  to  prosper  to  the 
glory  of  God,  and  is  today  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
mission  fields  in  Brazil,  with  Brother  Jackson  as 
director. 

Revolutionizing  Bio  de  Janeiro. — That  is  what  a 
little  tract,  written  by  an  ex-priest,  accomplished  in 
1919.  It  was  the  talk  of  the  Metropolis  and  stirred 
the  Catholic  hierarchy  as  nothing  else  had  done. 

The  priest  who  wrote  the  tract  was  one  of  the  most 
noted  in  Brazil.  He  belonged  to  the  seven  of  the  secret 
council  working  under  the  Vatican  Envoy.  His  name 
had  been  sent  to  Rome  as  a  candidate  for  a  Bishopric. 
Suddenly  he  abandoned  all,  and  marrying  the  young 
lady  of  his  heart,  he  gave  himself  to  teaching  for  sup- 
port.    Persecuted  by  the  hierarchy  he  was  driven  to 


158  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

the  feet  of  Jesus  and  made  a  wonderful  public  pro- 
fession of  his  faith  before  an  assembly  of  thousands  of 
spectators.  Eloquent,  cultured,  a  profound  student  of 
the  Bible  as  well  as  of  history,  he  stated  his  reasons 
for  accepting  the  Lord  Jesus  and  rejecting  the  Pope. 

I  asked  his  permission  to  publish  that  speech  in  tract 
form,  and  printed  fifty  thousand  as  a  first  edition.  I 
stereotyped  the  tract  and  continued  to  print  them  by 
the  thousands. 

Anxious  to  place  it  into  the  hands  of  the  public  I 
spoke  to  a  man,  whose  occupation  is  to  sell  novelties 
in  the  central  streets  of  the  great  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro. 
He  employed  a  group  of  young  men  to  board  all  the 
street  cars,  meet  all  trains  and  station  themselves  at  all 
the  principal  public  squares  of  the  city.  I  told  him  to 
have  his  boys  shout  all  over  the  town:  ''The  Defense 
of  an  Excommunicated  Priest."  A  few  days  before  that 
the  Cardinal  had  published  the  excommunication  of 
that  priest  in  the  daily  press.  The  tract  was  the  talk 
of  the  day.  That  man  sold  in  one  week  fifty-five  thou- 
sand copies. 

The  Cardinal  tried  to  stop  its  sale  and  had  the  man 
come  to  his  palace.  He  offered  him  two  hundred  mil 
reis  (about  $50.00)  if  he  would  stop  the  sale  of  those 
tracts.  But  the  man  told  him  that  he  was  making  a 
great  deal  more  out  of  the  sale  of  the  tract.  Finally 
he  agreed  to  stop  selling  it  if  he  would  give  him  two 
thousand  mil  reis  ($500.00).  I  understand  that  the 
Cardinal  gave  him  the  sum,  but  more  than  60,000  copies 
of  that  tract  had  been  sold  in  one  week  and  who  can 
tell  what  such  an  abundant  seed-sowing  will  bring 
forth? 

A  Tract  Changed  His  Sermon. — There  was  a  priest 


IN  MANY  PLACES  159 

known  nation-wide  who  was  usu?.lly  called  upon  to  give 
a  series  of  sermons  in  places  where  the  Catholic  faith 
was  seriously  attacked.  One  of  these  lectures  or  ser- 
mons was  against  the  Evangelical  faith. 

In  the  struggle  against  the  Anti-Protestant  League 
during  1901  up  to  1905  the  Evangelicals  were  getting 
the  victory,  and  as  a  last  resort  the  League  arranged 
with  that  priest — Julio  Maria  by  name,  to  deliver  his 
series  of  sermons,  the  last  one  to  be  the  one  attacking 
the  gospel  faith. 

On  his  way  to  Pernambuco  the  priest  stopped  in 
Maceio,  where  our  dear  Brother  J.  E.  Hamilton  was 
working  and  while  there  he  delivered  four  of  his  ser- 
mons. I  asked  Brother  Hamilton  to  let  me  know  the 
theme  and  the  way  of  attack  in  his  sermon  against  the 
Evangelicals. 

Brother  Hamilton  informed  me  that  the  priest  used 
in  that  sermon  the  most  violent  language,  declaring 
that  the  Protestants  were  of  the  lowest  and  most  igno- 
rant classes,  etc. 

As  soon  as  I  found  out  the  exact  date  the  priest  was 
to  give  his  sermon  against  us,  I  published  in  the  daily 
press  an  article  or  rather  pamphlet  written  by  Brother 
Z.  C.  Taylor,  in  which  was  enumerated  some  of  the 
things  that  the  Protestants  had  invented  in  the  last 
decade  or  so.  The  printing  press,  the  telegraph,  and 
telephones,  the  autos  and  aeroplanes,  and  finished  by 
calling  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  plates  out  of  which 
the  priests  were  eating  came  from  Protestant  England, 
the  cloth  with  which  he  covered  his  body  was  made  in 
Protestant  factories  and  even  the  razor  with  which  he 


160  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

shaved  the  crown  of  his  head  came  from  a  Protestant 
firm. 

I  issued  five  thousand  copies  of  that  article  in  tract 
form  that  were  distributed  over  the  city.  Five  hundred 
of  these  tracts  I  distributed  at  the  door  of  the  church 
where  the  priest  was  to  make  his  speech. 

Availing  myself  of  the  company  of  the  Lieutenant- 
Governor  of  the  State  I  went  to  hear  the  priest  make 
his  attack  against  the  Protestants.  To  my  surprise, 
a  better  sermon  in  favor  of  Protestantism  I  could  not 
have  made  myself.  He  extolled  Lincoln  and  Wash- 
ington and  drew  attention  to  the  example  of  the  great 
American  nation,  the  country  of  liberty,  peace  and 
prosperity. 

The  tract  made  him  change  his  sermon  and  the 
effect  of  that  little  leaflet  can  be  seen  even  now  in  the 
wonderful  development  the  work  of  our  Lord  is  having 
in  that  great  Pernambuco  field. 

Thank  God  for  the  printed  page  and  especially  may 
the  Lord's  choicest  blessing  rest  upon  those  who  have 
helped  with  their  prayers  and  sacrifices  in  establishing 
in  Rio  that  great  publishing  enterprise,  the  Carroll 
Memorial  Publishing  House,  for  that  vast  and  wonder- 
ful field. 


CHAPTER  VII 

EECRUITING   FOR    THE   MASTER 

The  Missionary's  Joy. — One  of  the  great  joys  of  a 
missionary's  life  is  to  lead  many  to  the  feet  of  the 
Master.  But  his  joy  increases  when  one  of  his  boys 
or  girls  becomes  a  worker  in  the  Lord's  vineyard. 
Naturally  the  missionary  has  to  be  on  the  lookout  for 
such  and  lead  them  with  care  and  caution  into  the  road 
of  usefulness  and  needed  instruction. 

As  a  rule,  the  Brazilian  convert  is  a  natural  born 
evangelist.  Usually  when  the  gospel  message  enters 
his  heart  and  life  he  wants  to  tell  everybody  of  his 
new  found  faith  and  blessing.  Sometimes  it  is  even 
difficult  to  hold  him  back  and  make  him  understand 
the  need  of  study  and  preparation.  Having  been  de- 
luded by  the  priesthood,  kept  in  utter  darkness  as  re- 
gards God  and  his  great  love,  as  soon  as  the  convert 
has  his  eyes  opened  to  the  truth,  he  cannot  keep  stilL 
He  wants  to  proclaim  it  to  everyone  he  meets,  especially 
to  his  own  loved  ones.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  such  devo- 
tion can  be  used  for  the  spreading  of  the  gospel 
throughout  the  field  if  it  is  well  directed  and  cultivated. 

Fortunately  we  have  now  in  Brazil  institutions  where 
young  men  and  young  women  can  be  trained  in  the 
Master's  service  and  prepared  for  greater  usefulness. 
Every  missionary  on  the  field  has  had  the  privilege  of 
guiding  not  a  few  into  those  great  institutions  from 

161 


162  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

which,  after  a  few  years  of  study,  they  have  come  pre- 
pared to  accomplish  much  for  the  Master. 

I  want  to  mention  a  few  that  are  today  making  his- 
tory in  our  Baptist  ranks  in  Brazil  and  whom  it  was 
my  privilege,  not  only  to  lead  to  the  feet  of  the  Master, 
but  also  into  the  paths  of  usefulness  and  service.  These 
cases  will  illustrate  a  good  deal  about  the  methods  of 
work  we  are  using  as  well  as  encourage  us  to  look  for 
a  marvelous  future  for  the  Baptists  in  that  wonderful 
South  American  Republic. 

Joaquim  Fernandes  Lessa,  State  Secretary. — It  was 
soon  after  my  arrival  in  Campos  in  1893.  We  were 
having  our  meetings  in  an  upstairs  hall  and  it  was 
difficult  to  get  the  people  to  come  to  the  meetings,  not 
only  on  account  of  the  inconvenience  of  climbing  up 
a  flight  of  back-stair  steps,  but  also  because  the  priest 
had  it  spread  all  over  town  that  the  Protestants  used 
a  certain  substance,  powder  or  ointment  which  they 
placed  on  the  benches  or  chairs  with  the  result  that 
anyone  sitting  in  one  of  them  had  to  turn  Protestant 
whether  he  wished  it  or  not.  This  report  kept  the  people 
from  the  meetings.  So  I  decided  that  the  best  thing 
to  do  was  to  hold  open-air  services  on  the  public  square. 
There  we  had  large  crowds  who  came  and  listened  at- 
tentively. But  as  soon  as  the  Vicar  found  out  what 
was  being  done  he  had  the  sexton  of  the  church  situ- 
ated on  the  public  square  to  ring  the  big  brass  bell 
whose  noise  literally  drowned  my  voice  and  what  I  had 
to  say. 

One  Sunday  afternoon  I  was  in  the  midst  of  one  of 
my  addresses  and  had  the  attention  of  a  great  crowd 
when,  lo,  that  big  brass  bell  began  to  pour  forth  its 
metallic  noise  and  I  had  to  stop.    The  people  surround- 


RECRUITING  FOR  THE  MASTER  163 

ing  me  showed  signs  of  impatience  and  I  resolved  to 
invite  them  all  to  the  hall  to  hear  the  last  part  of  my 
speech.  Many  came  and  among  them  was  Joaquim 
Lessa.  He  interested  me  as  soon  as  I  laid  my  eyes  on 
him  and  I  asked  the  Lord  to  favor  him  with  a  special 
blessing  that  day.  I  had  a  good  long  talk  with  him. 
He  was  a  prosperous  young  business  man  belonging  to 
a  well-known  family.  His  heart  was  touched  and  his 
soul  was  yearning  for  a  better  life.  It  was  not  long 
after  that  meeting  that  he  decided  for  Christ,  made 
his  public  profession  of  faith  and  was  ready  for  bap- 
tism.    Then  began  his  great  struggle. 

The  church  had  no  baptistry  and  all  candidates  were 
baptized  in  the  river  Parahyba  do  Sul,  one  of  the  largest 
in  South  Brazil.  Every  time  a  baptism  was  to  take 
place  I  used  to  announce  it  in  the  paper  and  thousands 
of  people,  including  priests,  would  come  to  the  river  to 
witness  the  baptismal  scene.  This  gave  me  a  splendid 
opportunity  to  explain  the  act  as  well  as  to  preach  to 
the  multitude  the  everlasting  gospel.  To  be  baptized 
before  a  crowd  like  that  required  great  courage  and 
determination  especially  in  those  who  were  related  to 
the  aristocracy  in  town.  The  parents  and  relatives 
whenever  knowing  of  the  candidates'  intentions  would 
try  their  utmost  to  keep  them  from  fulfilling  their 
duties  and  it  has  always  been  a  wonder  to  me  that  no 
one  ever  turned  back. 

Through  this  great  trial  Brother  Lessa  had  to  go. 
His  father,  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  his  son's  resolution, 
went  to  see  him  and  began  to  argue,  to  threaten,  to 
plead  and  finally  with  tears  flowing  down  his  cheeks 
begged  him :  ' '  My  son,  do  not  disgrace  your  family ;  do 
not  deny  your  baptism,"  and  young  Lessa  with  tears 


164  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

streaming  down  his  face  answered :  * '  Men  queido  pae ! 
My  dear  father,  I  have  never  disobeyed  nor  disrespected 
you,  but  in  this  matter  you  must  have  patience,  for  I 
must  do  the  will  of  my  Savior  first.  However,  the 
time  will  soon  come  when  you  will  see  that  I  did  the 
right  thing  and  you  will  then  bless  and  not  curse  me." 

Brother  Lessa  was  baptized  before  an  audience  of 
over  three  thousand  witnesses  and  his  family  after  that 
would  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  him.  Soon  he 
won  the  heart  of  a  splendid  Christian  girl  whose  mother 
was  British  (from  the  South  African  white  colony),  a 
young  lady  Mrs.  Ginsburg  was  training  and  preparing 
for  the  Master's  work.  The  marriage  ceremony  took 
place  in  our  own  home,  and  one  of  Brother  Lessa 's 
brothers,  the  youngest,  had  the  courage  to  come  and 
witness  the  marriage  scene.  This  act  so  touched  the 
heart  of  this  young  man  that  he  went  home  and  told 
his  father  that  he  also  was  a  Protestant  and  would 
soon  be  baptized.  In  less  than  a  year  Brother  Lessa 's 
life  and  testimony  brought  to  the  feet  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
nearly  all  that  were  near  and  dear  to  him  and  though 
his  father  held  out  for  a  longer  time  he  also  is  today  a 
leader  in  the  Campos  church. 

Although  not  a  college  graduate  he  is  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  preachers  of  the  Word  of  God  and 
a  mighty  spiritual  influence  among  his  people.  Gentle 
and  sweet  in  spirit,  hard-working,  self-sacrificing,  he  is 
a  wonderful  example  of  what  God  can  do. 

I  wiU  never  forget  the  first  time  I  asked  him  to 
speak  in  public.  He  trembled  like  a  leaf  and  when  he 
had  spoken  his  few  words  he  said  to  me,  ''Never  again!" 
But  I  gave  him  my  experience  and  told  him  that  when 
I  was  converted  and  was  asked  to  give  my  testimony  I 


RECRUITING  FOR  THE  MASTER  165 

could  only  say  one  phrase.  I  told  him  that  the  Lord 
would  help  him  if  he  would  only  submit  himself  to  his 
guidance  and  direction. 

On  most  of  my  evangelistic  trips  I  would  have  him 
with  me  and  began  to  teach  him  how  to  study  the  Bible, 
how  to  analyze  a  text  and  how  to  prepare  for  a  little  talk. 
On  Fridays,  in  the  evening,  I  held  a  Bible  class  and 
Brother  Lessa  never  missed  one.  He  loved  to  study 
the  Bible.  Mrs.  Ginsburg  taught  him  to  read  the  En- 
glish language  and  he  began  to  read  our  English  com- 
mentaries. 

As  the  work  in  the  Campos  Mission  developed  I 
pushed  him  forward  giving  him  the  care  of  one  of  our 
preaching  places  in  that  city.  Gradually  he  developed 
until  he  became  indispensable  to  me,  accompanying  me 
on  almost  all  of  my  colportage  and  evangelistic  trips. 
He  soon  became  a  mighty  man  of  God.  Today,  as  State 
Secretary,  elected  and  re-elected  I  do  not  know  how 
many  times,  he  is  leading  the  churches,  that  have  now 
grown  to  the  number  of  sixty,  into  ways  of  seK-support 
and  self -development. 

One  trait  of  his  religious  life  is  gratifying,  and  that 
is  his  love  for  the  missionaries  and  faithfulness  to  the 
denominational  and  organized  work. 

We  had  a  split  once  in  that  great  field.  The  work 
was  divided  and  some  of  the  workers  and  churches 
turned  against  the  missionary  then  on  the  field,  and 
naturally  against  the  organized  work.  But  Brother 
Lessa  stood  firm  and  though  every  inducement  was  of- 
fered him  to  turn  against  the  organized  work  he  stood 
like  a  rock  and  the  work  was  saved  from  a  complete 
collapse.  Today  almost  all  the  revolting  churches  and 
workers  have  come  back  to  the  organized  work  and  the 


166  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

cause  of  our  Master  in  that  State  is  growing  won- 
derfully. 

Adrian  Onesinio  Bernardo. — Brother  Bernardo  is  to- 
day one  of  the  most  acceptable  evangelists  of  Brazil  and 
was  for  a  time  director  of  the  campaign  among  the 
Baptists  of  Brazil  to  raise  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars  in  five  years.  He  is  eloquent,  spiritual, 
well-prepared,  intelligent  and  mighty  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. 

I  shall  always  remember  the  day  when  he  held  up 
his  hand  indicating  his  decision  for  Christ  as  I  was 
preaching  the  gospel  in  a  small  city  in  the  interior  of 
Brazil,  called  San  Antonio  de  Jesus. 

The  day  that  he  and  six  others  were  led  into  the 
baptistry  before  a  multitude  of  onlookers,  was  a  red- 
letter  day  in  that  little  country  church. 

Brother  Bernardo  was  apprenticed  to  a  tailor  in  that 
city.  Every  Sunday  he  would  go  to  listen  to  the  gospel 
message  and  it  drew  him  and  satisfied  his  heart-hunger. 
The  church  had  no  pastor  but  every  Sunday  one  of 
the  deacons  or  brethren  would  lead  the  meeting.  They 
were  a  small  group  of  Christians,  but  full  of  faith  and 
great  believers  in  the  power  of  a  prayer-hearing  and 
prayer-answering  God. 

When  I  took  charge  of  the  Bahia  field  in  1909  one 
of  my  first  visits  was  to  that  little  church  and  after  a 
few  days  of  preaching  Brother  Bernardo  and  a  great 
many  others  decided  for  Christ  and  after  instruction 
w^ere  buried  with  Christ  in  baptism. 

Brother  Bernardo  with  a  heart  full  of  joy  and  a  burn- 
ing desire  to  serve  the  Master  threw  himself  into  the 
work  of  the  little  church,  building  it  up  in  all  its  de- 
partments.   His  enthusiasm  and  zeal  became  irresistible 


RECRUITING  FOR  THE  MASTER  167 

and  God  used  him  mightily.  He  belonged  to  a  well-to- 
do  family  and  having  had  a  good  school  education  he 
gave  himself  to  the  cultivation  of  his  natural  talents 
and  before  long  made  of  himself  a  capable  and  valuable 
helper  in  that  section. 

On  several  of  my  visits  to  that  part  of  the  field  I 
noticed  with  growing  pleasure  the  usefulness  of  that 
young  man  and  on  several  occasions  took  him  with  me 
on  my  visits  to  the  interior  churches  studying  his  char- 
acter and  natural  gifts. 

One  day  I  suggested  to  him  the  necessity  of  a  better 
preparation  for  the  Master's  service  and  he  readily  ac- 
cepted the  suggestion  and  manifested  great  eagerness 
to  take  it  and  to  give  himself,  heart,  and  soul  to  the 
work. 

After  corresponding  with  the  Seminary  men  of  Per- 
nambuco  I  sent  him  there,  and  he  proved  himself  a 
splendid  student.  After  a  few  years  of  study  in  Per- 
nambuco  he  was  sent  by  the  missionaries  to  the  United 
States  where  he  graduated  with  high  honors  at  Baylor 
University. 

Today  Brother  A.  0.  Bernardo  is  a  mighty  leader,  a 
great  power  for  good  among  his  own  people.  He  is  in 
the  prime  of  life,  has  a  strong  physique  and  his  heart  is 
full  of  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  his  people  and  the 
spreading  of  the  Baptist  principles  in  his  own  country. 
He  has  recently  accepted  a  caU  to  teach  in  the  Theologi- 
cal Seminary  in  Pernambuco. 

Manoel  Avelino  de  Souza,  Pastor  in  Nictheroy. — 
Having  graduated  with  honors  from  our  College  and 
Seminary  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  after  seven  years  of  hard 
work  and  many  struggles,  Brother  Avelino,  as  he  is 
usually  called,  is  now  the  efficient  pastor  of  the  church 


168  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

in  Nictheroy,  the  capital  of  the  State  of  Rio  and  one 
of  the  Baptist  leaders  in  Brazil. 

I  found  him  in  the  interior  of  the  State  of  Bahia, 
serving  as  an  employee  in  a  Venda.  (In  Brazil  a  Venda 
is  considered  something  like  a  saloon  in  our  country, 
though,  besides  alcoholic  drinks,  other  things  are  sold, 
such  as  vegetables,  fruits,  and  the  like.) 

When  I  met  him  the  first  time  he  had  already  joined 
the  church  in  Arroz  Novo  and  his  heart  was  anxious  to 
do  something  for  the  Master.  He  did  not  like  his  job, 
especially  the  selling  of  drinks,  after  his  conversion. 
But  he  was  indispensable  to  his  employer,  not  only  on 
account  of  his  untiring  service  and  knowledge  of  busi- 
ness, but  also  because  of  his  honesty  and  faithfulness. 

To  try  him  out  I  gave  him  the  assignment  of  looking 
after  the  Sunday-school  work  in  the  church.  He  accom- 
plished the  task  and  developed  a  great  Sunday  school  in 
that  country  church. 

In  1910  Dr.  T.  B.  Ray  visited  that  district  and  Brother 
Avelino  went  along  with  us  helping  and  serving  in 
every  possible  way.  I  called  Dr.  Ray's  attention  to  the 
boy  as  well  as  to  his  excellent  character  and  asked  Dr. 
Ray  to  speak  to  him  about  deciding  for  the  Master's 
service.  Dr.  Ray  had  a  good  talk  with  the  boy  and  he 
afterwards  informed  me  that  the  conversation  he  had 
with  Dr.  Ray  helped  him  to  decide  for  the  Master's 
work. 

After  proving  his  worth  I  wrote  him  to  obtain  the 
approval  of  the  brethren  and  to  come  to  our  State 
Board  meeting  prepared  to  go  to  Rio  and  enter  as  a 
ministerial  student.  I  was  sure  that  ^he  State  Board 
would  recommend  him  once  they  saw  and  heard  him. 
A  great  struggle  took  place  between  him   and  his 


KECRUITING  FOR  THE  MASTER  169 

employer.  This  man  did  all  he  could  to  keep  him  from 
going.  He  offered  the  boy  a  larger  salary  and  an 
interest  in  the  business.  He  told  him  that  the  promises 
of  the  missionary  were  all  false,  that  instead  of  study- 
ing he  would  be  made  a  slave  and  polisher  of  shoes. 
But  the  boy  stood  his  ground  nobly,  resisting  all  tempta- 
tions. He  had  seen  the  vision  and  was  ready  to  follow 
the  Master  wherever  he  would  lead.  If  the  shining  of 
shoes  would  enable  him  to  prepare  himself  for  the  Mas- 
ter's work  he  was  willing  to  shine  the  shoes  of  every 
missionary. 

He  did  an  excellent  work  in  the  College  and  Semi- 
nary. Although  he  entered  with  very  little  preparation 
he  worked  hard  and  became  a  very  proficient  student, 
graduating  with  full  honors.  During  his  studies  he 
helped  Dr.  Entzminger  as  pastor's  assistant  in  the  Nic- 
theroy  Church  and  when  Dr.  Entzminger  resigned  he 
was  called  to  the  pastorate.  The  church  now  is  not 
only  self-supporting,  but  has  recently  finished  building 
a  beautiful  temple,  at  the  cost  of  about  $25,000.  He  is 
young  and  in  the  prime  of  life  and  will  accomplish  yet 
greater  things  for  his  people  and  the  Baptist  cause. 

Manoel  da  Paz,  Pastor  in  Pernanihuco. — Brother  Da 
Paz  has  a  very  weak  and  slender  body,  but  his  heart 
and  soul  are  on  fire.  His  sermons  are  short,  but  well 
prepared,  eloquent  in  language  and  profoundly  touch- 
ing. He  is  a  mighty  preacher  and  a  great  worker.  The 
last  time  I  saw  him  he  was  pastor  of  two  of  the  most 
prosperous  churches  in  the  great  city  of  Pernambuco, 
besides  being  director  and  principal  teacher  of  a  paro- 
chial school  connected  with  one  of  those  churches  where 
over  one  hundred  and  fifty  children  are  studying. 

I  remember  well  the  first  time  he  came  into  our  meet- 


170  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

ing,  held  in  one  of  the  suburbs  of  Pernambuco.  How 
he  listened  to  the  message !  Every  word  seemed  like  the 
Babn  of  Gilead,  delighting  his  soul.  He  was  soon  bap- 
tized and  became  an  active  worker  in  the  church.  His 
greatest  delight  was  in  taking  part  in  open-air  services. 
One  could  easily  locate  the  place  where  he  could  be 
found,  if  one  inquired  which  meeting  place  was  the 
most  dangerous. 

Brother  Da  Paz  was  one  of  the  first  Bible  students  in 
Brazil  when  it  was  my  privilege  to  open  a  small  Bible 
class  in  our  home  in  1900. 

His  home  surroundings  were  not  the  brightest.  His 
father  had  not  treated  his  mother  right  and  he  was 
brought  up  amidst  poverty  and  suffering.  But  he  was 
a  good  boy  and  his  care  of  his  poor  mother  until  her 
end  was  wonderfully  touching.  He  had  the  privilege 
of  leading  her  to  Christ  and  of  even  helping  his  father 
in  times  of  need  and  difficulty. 

Brother  Da  Paz  studied  hard  and  used  every  oppor- 
tunity to  make  himself  useful  in  the  Master's  work. 
Today  he  is  considered  one  of  the  best  preachers  and 
workers  among  the  Baptist  host  in  the  great  Northern 
field   of   Brazil. 

Being  of  a  very  quiet  and  unobtrusive  disposition  he 
seldom  forces  himself  to  the  front,  but  the  believers 
love  him  and  often  have  elected  him  as  moderator  of 
their   state   conventions. 

August 0  Felippe  Santiago,  Pastor  in  Parahiha. — 
When  I  first  met  Brother  Santiago  he  was  a  cigar- 
maker.  His  mother  and  sister  and  one  of  his  brothers 
were  members  of  the  church,  but  he  did  not  believe 
in  God  nor  anything  else.  He  had  been  a  student  in 
a  Catholic  Seminary  and  had  seen  so  much  hypocrisy 


RECRUITING  FOR  THE  MASTER  171 

and  corruption  and  sin,  all  under  the  guise  of  religion, 
that  he  determined  not  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it. 

But  his  mother  and  sister  were  praying  and  the  good 
Lord  heard  their  cry.  We  established  a  preaching 
service  in  their  home,  situated  in  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar suburbs  of  the  city  of  Pernambuco  and  it  was  not 
long  after  that  Brother  Augusto  felt  the  Spirit  of  God 
laying  hold  of  his  soul  and  forcing  him  to  his  knees 
where  he  pleaded  for  pardon  and  power. 

Soon  after  his  conversion,  as  it  often  happens  with 
the  Brazilian  believer,  he  threw  himself  heartily  into 
the  work,  taking  active  part,  especially  at  the  preaching 
service  held  in  his  own  home.  His  testimony,  after  so 
many  years  of  opposition,  was  convincing  and  many 
were  brought  to  the  feet  of  the  Master. 

As  soon  as  the  idea  of  a  Seminary  in  Pernambuco 
was  brought  up  he  came  to  see  me  and  informed  me 
that  he  would  give  his  life  to  the  work  of  preaching 
the  gospel  to  his  own  people.  I  had  been  praying  about 
him  and  had  planned  to  speak  to  him  at  an  opportune 
time,  but  the  Lord  answered  my  prayer  before  I 
expected. 

He  became  a  good  student  and  is  today  one  of  our 
best  preachers  and  workers.  Every  church  that  he  has 
served  has  grown.  Just  now  he  is  serving  in  two  States 
— Pernambuco  and  Rio  Grande  do  Norte.  With  very 
limited  funds,  as  the  believers  are  poor,  and  the 
opposition  not  only  of  Catholics,  but  also  of  some  of  our 
Pedo-Baptist  brethren,  yet  he  is  doing  a  mighty  work, 
training  the  churches  in  self-support  and  self-govern- 
ment. 

Several  business  men  of  the  capital  of  the  State 
where  he  works,  noticing  his  great  gift  of  attracting 


172  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

people  liave  made  him  offers  that  could  bring  him  twice 
or  three  times  as  much  money  as  he  is  receiving  from 
the  churches,  but,  though  he  has  a  family  of  ten  per- 
sons (including  two  mothers-in-law)  he  prefers  to  work 
for  the  Master. 

Tertuliano  Cerquewa,  Pastor  in  Para. — The  Cerqueira 
family  is  one  of  the  largest  and  richest  in  the  interior 
of  the  State  of  Bahia.  At  a  place  called  Irara  a  visit 
by  Dr.  Z.  C.  Taylor  in  company  of  Dr.  Ottoni,  a  cele- 
brated ex-priest,  had  brought  about  the  conversion  of 
a  member  of  that  family  who  afterwards  was  or- 
dained to  the  ministry  and  placed  in  charge  of  that 
district. 

It  was  at  the  invitation  of  this  native  preacher  that 
I  went  to  Irara  and  had  splendid  meetings. 

The  hall  being  too  small  for  the  crowds  that  came 
flocking  to  listen  to  the  message  of  God,  we  transferred 
them  into  the  open  air,  the  Lord's  blessing  following 
us  in  a  most  wonderful  way,  many  being  saved. 

One  that  never  missed  a  meeting  was  young  Tertu- 
liano, then  a  boy  only  fourteen  years  old.  The  native 
preacher  was  his  brother-in-law.  He  had  heard  him 
speak  about  Jesus  and  his  love,  about  the  Word  of  God, 
and  had  heard  him  pray.  His  young  heart  was  yearn- 
ing for  God  and  his  salvation.  But,  his  parents  and 
relatives  were  against  him.  His  father  threatened 
to  kill  him  if  he  should  go  to  the  meetings  and  his 
brother,  in  whose  shop  he  was  employed,  threatened 
to  drive  him  out  for  the  same  reason. 

But  Tertuliano  came  in  spite  of  the  threats.  Before 
the  meetings  would  begin  he  would  come  and  hide  be- 
hind the  small  organ  that  I  usually  took  on  my  mission- 
ary trips.    Before  the  series  of  meetings  were  over  he 


EECRUITING  FOR  THE  MASTER  173 

begged  for  baptism.  He  wanted  to  follow  the  Lord 
Jesus  even  at  the  risk  of  his  life. 

I  baptized  the  boy  before  a  great  multitude  of  wit- 
nesses and  recommending  him  to  God  I  advised  him 
to  consecrate  his  life  and  his  talents  to  the  blessed 
Lord  for  his  service  in  needy  Brazil. 

In  the  absence  of  the  pastor,  Tertuliano  would  take 
the  lead  and  make  himself  very  useful.  Though  per- 
secuted and  mistreated  by  his  own  he  continued  firm 
and  faithful  giving  an  excellent  testimony  before  all. 

Soon  after  his  baptism,  he  expressed  to  me  his  desire 
to  preach  the  gospel  to  his  own  people.  I  was  pray- 
ing, watching  him  and  supplying  him  with  books  and 
papers  until  the  time  came  when  I  realized  that  he 
would  make  good.  The  church  recommended  him  heart- 
ily and  the  native  pastor  gave  his  full  consent  and  so 
I  brought  him  to  the  capital  and  presented  him  to  the 
State  Board.  The  brethren  on  the  Board  thought  him 
very  young,  but  after  hearing  him  speak  and  pray  they 
also  unanimously  agreed  to  recommend  him  to  our 
Seminary  in  Pernambuco. 

Tertuliano  arrived  in  Pernambuco  and  the  Dean  of 
the  Seminary,  Brother  D.  L.  Hamilton,  after  looking 
at  the  boy,  wrote  and  asked  me  if  I  thought  that  the 
Seminary  was  a  baby  nursery.  However,  as  I  had  rec- 
ommended him  so  highly  they  thought  they  would  try 
him  for  at  least  six  months. 

Tertuliano  proved  himself  an  excellent  student  and 
a  leader  in  athletics.  He  graduated  with  high  honors 
and  today  is  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Para, 
the  New  York  of  the  Amazon  valley,  and  he  is  doing 
an  excellent  work.  To  crown  it  all  he  is  now  studying 
medicine  and  before  long  will  be  a  full-fledged  medical 


174  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

preacher  making  his  life  count  yet  more  for  the  Mas- 
ter's cause  in  that  great  and  needy  field. 

Orlando  Falcao,  Pastor  First  Baptist  Church  in  Per- 
nanibuco. — I  cannot  close  this  chapter  without  telling 
something  of  Brother  Orlando  and  how  he  was  brought 
into  the  Master's  service.  His  father  was  practicing 
law  in  the  city  of  Bom  Jardim,  where  a  terrible  perse- 
cution had  taken  place  and  had  brought  much  death 
and  misery  into  the  town.  When  the  believers  were 
imprisoned  on  false  accusations,  Orlando's  father  was 
the  only  lawyer  who  dared  to  take  up  their  case  and 
offer  his  services  to  the  missionary.  I  am  not  saying 
that  he  did  it  for  the  love  of  the  cause  or  the  brethren. 
He  no  doubt  had  in  sight  some  monetary  compensa- 
tion, but  he  helped  the  cause  and  the  good  Lord  made 
it  good  to  him  in  a  most  remarkable  way,  by  calling 
his  boy  to  the  highest  and  noblest  service  a  man  could 
be  called  to  and  making  of  him  one  of  the  most  popular 
and  useful  servants  in  that  service. 

Orlando  was  living  with  his  mother  on  a  little  farm 
not  far  from  Bom  Jardim.  The  gospel  found  its  way 
into  that  district  and  his  mother  was  drawn,  by  a  power 
she  could  not  resist,  into  the  fold.  On  account  of  her 
decision,  the  husband  abandoned  her  to  her  fate — ^but 
her  boy  stood  by  her  and  though  only  fourteen  years 
old  he  helped  his  mother  in  her  daily  toils. 

A  preaching  place  was  organized  in  the  home  of  Or- 
lando's mother,  and  when  the  preacher  failed,  Orlando, 
then  not  a  member  of  the  church  would  help  in  the 
services  by  reading  portions  of  the  Scripture  and  ser- 
mons or  articles  published  in  our  weekly  paper. 

One  day  I  visited  that  district  and  stopped  over  night 


RECRUITING  FOR  THE  MASTER  175 

at  the  home  of  Orlando's  mother.  I  was  drawn  to  the 
boy  and  his  life  and  history  touched  me  profoundly. 
He  made  his  public  profession  of  faith  and  I  baptized 
him  together  with  several  others  before  a  great  multi- 
tude of  witnesses.  His  mother  with  tears  streaming 
down  her  face  consecrated  him  to  the  Master's  service 
then  and  there  and  the  Lord  accepted  her  gift. 

Before  leaving  Pernambuco  for  another  field  I  saw 
that  Orlando  was  enrolled  as  a  student  in  our  Semi- 
nary, where  he  made  splendid  progress.  After  finishing 
his  course  in  Pernambuco  he  went  to  Baylor  University, 
from  which  he  graduated  with  honors.  He  then  spent 
some  time  in  the  Louisville  Seminary.  He  was  called 
heartily  to  the  pastorate  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in 
Pernambuco  at  a  salary  that  he  thought  was  above 
his  needs  and  refused  to  accept  it  all. 

Today  Orlando  is  a  mighty  man  of  God.  Pastor  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Pernambuco  with  a  mem- 
bership of  over  500.  He  is  also  teacher  in  our  great 
College  and  Seminary  there  and  is  making  his  life  count 
for  his  Master  and  his  beloved  fatherland. 

And  thus  the  life  and  work  of  the  missionary  unfolds 
and  multiplies  and  reaches  unto  the  end  of  the  ages. 

Oh,  what  a  privilege  is  ours ! 

The  responsibilities  of  our  work  are  great,  but  the 
joys  and  blessings  compensate  for  alL 


CHAPTER  yill 

COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS 

Helps  and  Hindrances. — Every  life  is  helped  or  hin- 
dered by  his  companions  and  friends.  The  missionary 
is  no  exception  to  the  rule.  In  this  autobiography  I  am 
not  going  to  mention  the  names  of  those  who  have  been 
a  hindrance.  Opposition  and  even  unbrotherliness  may 
after  all  be  a  great  help  in  the  building  up  of  char- 
acter. Had  I  always  had  my  own  way  I  would  surely 
have  been  spoiled  and  made  overconfident. 

Dr.  Zacharias  Clay  Taylor. — I  have  mentioned  the 
name  of  this  good  brother  several  times  in  previous 
chapters,  but  in  this  one  I  must  give  him  the  first  place. 
I  am  hoping,  before  long  to  write  his  biography.  His 
children  have  been  kind  enough  to  turn  the  manuscript 
of  his  autobiography  over  to  me,  and  before  long  I  am 
expecting  to  prepare  the  book  for  the  public. 

In  this  chapter  I  wish  to  state  what  his  life  has 
meant  to  me.  "We  did  not  agree  on  every  subject,  but 
to  be  with  him  and  in  his  home  was  a  privilege  and 
a  blessing.  He  was  the  most  unselfish  man  I  ever 
knew.  His  only  object  in  life  seemed  to  be  to  preach 
Christ  and  make  him  known  to  the  Brazilians. 

The  first  time  I  met  him  was  in  Pernambuco.  I  was 
then  substitute  pastor  in  a  Congregational  church  and 
was  studying  the  subject  of  baptism.  The  Baptists  in 
Pernambuco   were   then   in   bad    repute    and   Brother 

176 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  177 

Taylor  had  come  to  help  them.  I  invited  him  to  share 
the  room  with  me  at  the  back  of  the  building  where 
I  was  preaching  and  we  had  great  times  together  dis- 
cussing the  subject  of  baptism  and  close  communion. 

What  helped  me  most  in  those  three  days  we  were 
together  were  his  prayers.  Whenever  a  difficulty  would 
appear  he  would  say:  ** Brother,  let  us  take  it  to  the 
Lord  in  prayer ! ' '  Who  can  resist  the  man  that  argues 
with  prayer  and  with  an  open  Bible  ?  I  just  could  not 
resist  him  and  soon  was  drawn  not  only  to  the  truth, 
but  also  to  the  man  of  God  and  together  we  united  our 
lives  to  spread  the  truth  far  and  wide. 

Dr.  Taylor  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  seed- 
sowers  I  ever  knew.  He  was  untiring  and  unceasing 
in  his  efforts  to  spread  the  truth  all  over  the  vast 
territory  in  the  north  of  Brazil.  He  did  not  limit  his 
work  to  the  State  of  Bahia,  but  whenever  he  had  an 
opportunity  to  send  a  tract  or  make  a  personal  visit 
anywhere  else  he  would  do  it.  I  thought  that  my  de- 
sire to  evangelize  and  conquer  Brazil  for  Christ  was 
great,  but  his  spirit  was  like  a  burning  torch  that  could 
not  be  extinguished.  He  visited  almost  every  district 
in  the  Bahia  field — a  field  a^  large  as  half  of  Europe. 
From  Bahia  he  went  to  the  North  visiting  and  preach- 
ing in  the  States  of  Alagoas,  Pernambuco  and  Sergipe. 
He  visited  the  Victoria  field  and  started  the  work  there 
as  well  as  in  the  great  inland  mission  of  the  State  of 
Piauhy  where  we  now  have  the  Inland  Industrial 
School. 

Not  only  did  he  sow  the  seed  but  he  was  a  great 
cultivator  of  the  seed.  Wherever  a  group  of  believers 
sprang  up  he  would  visit  them  and  encourage  them 
until  they  were  able  to  withstand  the  enemy  and  stand 


178  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

alone.  He  never  shirked  nor  feared  persecutions  nor 
sufferings.  Often  I  have  seen  him  return  from  a  long 
interior  trip  with  his  body  tired  and  full  of  sores  on 
account  of  the  bites  of  insects  or  vampires — ^but  with 
his  eyes  aflame  with  a  joy  unspeakable  because  of  the 
souls  he  had  been  able  to  lead  to  the  Master.  Every 
time  he  had  to  make  a  sea  voyage  he  would  suffer  very 
acutely  from  sea  sickness,  but  that  would  not  deter  him 
from  doing  his  duty.  When  the  time  came  to  make 
the  voyage  he  would  go  with  gladness  of  heart  even 
though  he  knew  that  he  had  before  him  three  or  more 
days  of  hunger,  sea-sickness  and  even  danger  of  per- 
ishing on  the  high  sea. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  traits  in  his  character 
was  his  desire  to  work  in  harmony  with  all  the 
brethren.  Often  he  would  give  way  to  the  opinion  of 
others  and  gladly  submit  to  the  majority  whenever  a 
majority  adopted  a  rule,  though  sometimes  it  was  en- 
tirely opposite  to  his  way  of  thinking.  I  remember  how 
his  heart  was  set  on  keeping  up  the  work  of  our  Bra- 
zilian Home  Board  in  the  Acre  Territory,  and  during 
the  Convention  of  1908  held  in  Rio  he  pled  and  argued 
in  its  favor  all  the  time;  but  when  the  vote  was  taken 
favoring  a  move  in  an  entirely  different  direction  he 
gladly  submitted  and  labored  in  favor  of  this  policy 
as  if  his  own  ideas  had  been  adopted.  Very  few  men 
can  do  a  thing  like  that. 

Whenever  Brother  Taylor  found  himself  in  diffi- 
culties he  would  call  upon  me  to  help  him  and  to  me  it 
was  always  a  great  delight  to  go,  not  only  to  his  aid 
but  to  spend  a  few  weeks  in  his  home  and  in  his  com- 
pany. What  blessed  times  we  had  together!  Oh,  how 
I   have   missed   him,    his   loving,    cheerful,    Christ-like 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  179 

spirit!  And  the  native  believers,  how  they  loved  and 
trusted  him !  I  saw  his  grave  a  few  months  ago  and 
though  no  monument  yet  marks  it,  it  seemed  to  me  as 
if  I  could  see  hosts  of  angels  hovering  around  that 
mound  of  earth  in  that  cemetery  outside  of  Waco, 
Texas,  close  by  his  Alma  Mater.  In  my  fancy  they 
praised  and  glorified  God  for  the  great  life  of  that  man 
of  God,  the  Apostle  of  Brazil. 

What  his  life,  and  testimony  and  example  have  been 
to  me  personally,  I  am  utterly  unable  to  express.  I 
thank  God  for  ever  having  known  and  loved  and  worked 
with  Brother  Zacharias  C.  Taylor. 

Dr.  W.  E.  Entzminger. — The  first  time  I  met  Brother 
Entzminger  was  when  I  was  telling  of  my  conversion 
and  was  asking  for  baptism  in  the  home  of  Dr.  Z.  C. 
Taylor  in  Bahia,  in  1891.  It  was  his  first  year  in 
Brazil.  Shortly  after  Dr.  Taylor  was  obliged  to  go  to 
the  United  States,  on  account  of  his  wife's  illness, 
Brother  Entzminger  and  myself  were  left  alone  in  that 
great  Bahia  field.  He  was  struggling  with  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  Portuguese  langage  and  I,  trying  to  learn 
the  doctrines,  rules  and  principles  of  Baptist  churches. 

It  was  then  that  I  learned  to  know  and  to  love 
Brother  Entzminger.  We  established  a  bond  of  friend- 
ship that  has  endured  throughout  these  thirty  years. 

Our  first  united  effort  was  in  Pemambuco  where  we 
held  a  series  of  evangelistic  meetings  that  stirred  the 
city.  We  reorganized  the  local  Baptist  church  and 
started  it  on  its  way  to  usefulness  and  present  great- 
ness. Brother  Entzminger  moved  his  headquarters  to 
Pernambuco  and  with  great  care  and  caution  built  up 
one  of  the  finest  mission  fields  in  Brazil. 

Our  work  for  a  good  many  years  was  in  different 


180  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

sections  of  Brazil,  but  we  kept  in  close  touch  with  each 
other  and  several  times  it  was  my  privilege  to  visit  his 
field  and  spend  days  and  weeks  in  his  lovely  home  where 
I  was  always  received  with  open  arms  and  treated  with 
Christian  grace. 

It  was  in  1914,  after  moving  to  Rio  and  joining  hands 
in  the  great  Carroll  Memorial  Publishing  House  that 
I  became  better  and  closer  acquainted  with  Brother 
Entzminger. 

As  a  worker  very  few  on  the  field  can  equal  him, 
especially  in  his  line  of  work,  which  is  editing  and  pre- 
paring our  Baptist  literature.  His  knowledge  of  the 
Portuguese  language  is  marvelous  and  his  thoughts, 
studies  and  arguments  in  favor  of  our  doctrines  and 
principles  unsurpassed.  When  he  undertakes  the  study 
of  a  subject  he  knows  how  to  dig  deep  and  then  present 
it  in  such  a  way  that  his  judgment  is  received  as  final. 

In  spite  of  numerous  difficulties  he  organized  and 
established  the  Baptist  press  in  Rio  and  for  years  main- 
tained it  almost  alone.  He  had  to  be  editor,  manager 
and  field  agent,  as  well  as  meet  all  of  the  opposition. 
Brother  Entzminger  stood  the  ground,  fought  the  good 
fight  and  today  the  Brazilian  Baptists  hosts  have  a 
publishing  enterprise  worthy  of  any  denomination. 

It  has  been  my  privilege  to  be  in  close  touch  with 
him  in  this  work  for  the  last  seven  years.  We  do  not 
always  agree,  but  we  have  learned  to  agree,  to  disagree 
and  to  forget  many  things  of  minor  consequence,  but 
to  stand  firm  for  the  Baptists  and  the  Master's  cause  at 
whatever  sacrifice. 

And  what  a  great  help  he  has  been  to  my  spiritual 
life — for,  besides  being  a  great  student  of  the  Word 
of  God,  Brother  Entzminger  is  also  a  man  of  prayer. 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  181 

Often  when  we  have  found  ourselves  in  difficulties  that 
seemed  to  threaten  the  very  existence  of  the  enterprise 
entrusted  to  us,  we  would  retire  to  our  sanctuary  and 
there  prostrate  ourselves  before  God  and  plead  together 
until  heard  and  answered. 

The  most  notable  gift  of  Brother  Entzminger  besides 
that  of  editor  and  writer  is  his  capacity  for  organ- 
izing churches.  Every  church  that  he  has  taken  hold 
of,  in  spite  of  his  endless  toil  in  the  Publishing  House, 
has  grown  and  is  today  a  strong  spiritual  center.  As 
proofs  of  it,  one  has  only  to  cite  the  First  Baptist  Church 
in  Nictheroy,  where  he  labored  for  years ;  the  Second 
Baptist  Church  in  Rio,  which  he  helped  to  steer  through 
a  great  crisis  and  the  church  in  Meyer,  organized  in  a 
popular  suburb  of  Rio  near  the  Publishing  House, 
which  he  took  hold  of  a  few  years  ago  and  which  is 
today  a  great  spiritual  power  house. 

In  the  church  work  his  consecrated  wife  helped  him 
effectively. 

Dr.  Entzminger  still  has  many  years  of  usefulness 
before  him.  May  our  heavenly  Father  continue  to 
prosper  and  use  him  as  he  has  done  up  to  the  present. 
These  few  lines  but  tamely  reveal  our  mutual  love, 
and  how  helpful  he  has  been  to  me  in  my  life's  work 
and  struggles  in  Brazil. 

Dr.  John  W.  Shepard  and  Bro.  E.  H,  Muirhead. — 
During  my  furlough  in  1904  it  was  my  privilege  to 
meet  these  two  men  of  God,  and  present  to  them  the 
great  work  of  preparing  our  Brazilian  young  men  for 
the  Master's  service  in  Brazil. 

I  had  been  struggling  with  that  problem  in  Brazil 
for  years.  A  Bible  class  had  been  organized  in  my 
own  home  and  Mrs.  Ginsburg,  the  late  Brother  J.  E. 


182  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Hamilton  and  myself  with  the  help  of  a  few  native 
teachers  had  been  trying  our  best  to  do  it  justice.  The 
Foreign  Mission  Board  had  sent  Brother  W.  H.  Can- 
nada  to  our  rescue  and  he  had  moved  the  school  to 
a  larger  building  and  the  pupils  were  coming  in  from 
all  parts  of  the  city,  as  well  as  from  the  neighboring 
States.  The  conversion  of  the  ex-Priest  Piani,  through 
the  efforts  of  Brother  Cannada,  and  the  great  persecu- 
tions we  had  to  suffer  helped  us  wonderfully  and  the 
cause  was  prospered  mightily. 

Someone  was  needed  urgently  to  take  up  the  special 
work  of  training  the  native  ministerial  students  and  we 
appealed  to  our  heavenly  Father  to  lead  us  in  this  very 
important  matter.  Praised  be  his  name,  he  did  lead 
us  and  answered  in  a  most  wonderful  way. 

I  met  Brother  Shepard  in  the  home  of  his  brother- 
in-law,  Dr.  W.  0.  Carver,  professor  in  the  Southern 
Baptist  Theological  Seminary.  It  was  my  privilege  to 
spend  a  week  in  that  lovely  Christian  home,  a  never- 
to-be-forgotten  experience.  There  I  was  introduced  to 
Brother  Shepard  who  was  then  finishing  his  theological 
studies  in  that  great  Southern  Baptist  institution.  I 
was  most  favorably  impressed  with  him  and  it  was  my 
privilege  to  lay  before  him  the  great  possibilities  of  a 
life  spent  for  the  Master  in  Brazil,  especially  in  the 
training  of  native  preachers.  I  saw  that  a  deep  im- 
pression had  been  made  on  his  heart  and  mind.  After 
we  separated  I  went  to  my  room  and  on  my  knees  asked 
the  Lord,  if  it  was  his  will,  to  send  him  to  Brazil. 

As  soon  as  he  graduated  and  got  himself  his  help- 
meet, the  lady  of  his  heart,  he  came  to  Pernambuco. 
He  mastered  the  language  rapidly  and  before  long  was 
also  master  of  the  situation.     He  worked  out  a  pro- 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  183 

gram  and  plan  that  the  Board  in  Richmond,  Virginia, 
heartily  approved  and  it  was  not  long  until  Brother 
Shepard  was  in  the  Federal  capital  of  Brazil,  the  city 
of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  laying  the  foundation  of  Rio  Baptist 
College  and  Seminary  and  an  organized  system  of  edu- 
cation that  is  telling  upon  the  lives,  not  only  of  our 
church,  but  upon  the  whole  nation.  The  college  and 
seminary  that  he  has  developed,  with  the  help  of  God, 
is  today  considered  a  mighty  factor  in  Brazil.  It  has 
an  extensive  and  finely  located  campus  on  which  have 
been  erected  several  splendid  buildings.  Its  enrollment 
last  year  taxed  its  capacity.  Almost  fifty  ministerial 
students  were  in  attendance.  It  has  a  promising  normal 
department  also.  The  new  property  acquired  recently 
for  the  young  women  puts  that  department  in  excellent 
position.  Some  industrial  features  have  been  intro- 
duced. Indeed  the  institution  is  in  a  most  flourishing 
condition. 

I  have  been  connected  with  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  the  Seminary  and  College  for  many  years  and  have 
been  glad  to  support  to  the  best  of  my  ability  Brother 
Shepard  and  his  plans  through  a  great  many  struggles 
and  trials. 

One  outstanding  characteristic  of  his  life  is  his  per- 
sistence in  the  realization  of  his  plans.  Not  all  the 
members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  or  even  faculty  can 
always  agree  with  him  or  realize  the  vastness  of  the 
plans,  but  they  all  trust  him  and  follow  him  gladly. 
He  works  hard  and  builds  wisely.  The  choice  of  the 
land  on  which  the  college  is  located,  the  plans  for  the 
future,  the  great  objective  in  view — all  tend  to  prove 
that  Brazil  has  the  right  man  in  the  right  place. 

To  me  personally,  Brother  Shepard  has  been  a  tower 


184  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

of  strength  and  continual  inspiration.  Although  our 
work  is  on  entirely  different  lines,  yet  we  are  often 
together.  As  president  of  the  Board  of  Publications 
he  has  stood  by  me  in  developing  the  plans  for  a  greater 
and  more  efficient  enterprise  in  the  publishing  line. 

His  life  to  Brazil,  especially  in  the  training  of  young 
Brazilians  for  the  ministry,  is  of  untold  value. 

May  our  heavenly  Father  spare  him  for  many  years, 
and  use  him  as  he  has  done  for  greater  good  in  his 
mighty  work  in  Brazil. 

During  the  same  furlough  I  met,  in  the  home  of 
Dr.  DeMent,  then  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church 
in  Waco,  Texas,  Brother  Muirhead.  My  first  glimpse 
of  his  young,  intelligent  looking  face,  impressed  me 
favorably  and  after  telling  him  of  the  great  open  door 
in  Brazil  urged  him  to  consecrate  his  life  to  that  field. 

After  special  preparation  for  educational  work  he 
came  to  Pernambuco  and  it  did  not  take  Mrs.  Ginsburg 
and  myself  long  to  see  that  he  was  a  natural  born 
leader,  especially  in  the  building  up  of  an  educational 
institution  in  the  great  city  of  Pernambuco. 

What  his  life  has  been  worth  to  that  field  and  in- 
stitution which  he  is  now  directing,  eternity  only  will 
tell.  From  a  small  school,  harassed  and  persecuted  he 
has  built  up  an  institution  that  is  a  standing  monu- 
ment of  what  God  can  and  will  do  through  those  who 
consecrate  their  all  to  him  and  his  cause.  The  Per- 
nambuco Baptist  College  has  now  over  nine  hundred 
pupils  coming  from  all  classes  of  society.  The  Semi- 
nary has  forty  young  men  who  are  preparing  them- 
selves to  serve  the  Master.  The  Girls'  Training  School 
has  thirty-five  or  more  young  ladies  who  are  being 
trained  for  the  Master's  service  and  who  will,  before 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  185 

long,  be  scattered  all  over  Brazil  serving  the  Master 
whose  call  they  have  heard  and  obeyed. 

Brother  Muirhead  is  untiring  in  his  efforts  and  has 
had  the  wonderful  gift  in  surrounding  himself  with 
capable  helpers  that  love  and  trust  him.  Mrs.  Muir- 
head, too,  is  inimitable  in  her  position  and  work.  A 
full  graduate  of  Baylor  University  she  is  always  on 
hand  to  fill  up  any  gap  that  may  occur  in  the  teaching 
force,  for  she  not  only  is  great  in  the  training  of  her 
family,  her  seven  lovely  children,  but  also  is  a  won- 
derful musician,  and  can  teach  just  as  well  higher 
Mathematics  and  Greek  as  prepare  a  real  Southern 
biscuit. 

■  Brother  Muirhead 's  life  and  work  has  been  of  great 
value  to  the  Baptists  in  Brazil  and  his  example  of 
consecration  and  spiritual  life  a  stimulus  to  my  life. 
It  was  my  privilege  to  work  with  him  for  sometime 
and  guide  his  first  steps  in  the  work  in  Brazil.  Gentle- 
manly, courteous,  straight-forward  and  clean,  he  at- 
tracts you  to  himself  and  conquers  your  affections. 
The  need  of  the  work  in  Brazil  placed  us  in  different 
fields  of  labor,  but  our  hearts  and  lives  are  united  as 
in  the  days  gone  by,  for  our  objective  is  the  same. 

Soren,  Theodoro  and  Thomas  da  Costa. — Further  on 
in  this  chapter  the  reader  will  find  a  fuller  statement 
about  Dr.  W.  B.  Bagby,  our  veteran  missionary  to 
Brazil,  but  in  connection  with  the  three  names  that  head 
this  paragraph,  I  must  say  that  if  Dr.  Bagby  had  done 
nothing  more  during  his  long  life  of  usefulness  in 
Brazil  than  bring  these  men  to  the  feet  of  the  Master 
his  life's  work  would  have  been  a  complete  success. 

Just  think  of  it:  Here  is  Brother  Soren,  for  about 
twenty  years  the  efficient  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist 


186  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Church  in  the  great  Brazilian  Metropolis;  Theodoro, 
whom  God  gave  the  gift  of  a  scribe,  editorial  secre- 
tary of  the  Carroll  Memorial  Publishing  House;  and 
Thomas  da  Costa,  the  consecrated  business  man,  who 
not  only  contributes  liberally  to  the  cause,  but  has 
given  his  life  to  the  Master's  service  in  Brazil.  Was 
it  not  worth  while  to  go  to  Brazil  and  win  such  men 
for  Christ?  Although  Dr.  Bagby  has  been  separated 
from  them  for  years,  working  in  another  part  of  Brazil, 
these  men  are  doing  their  part,  in  the  conquest  of  the 
Brazilian  nation  for  Christ  and  the  Baptists. 

It  has  been  my  privilege  also  to  come  in  close  touch 
with  these  three  men  and  a  word  about  each  of  them 
will  not  be  amiss,  for  every  one  of  them  has  been  a 
great  help  and  blessing  to  my  life  and  work. 

The  first  time  I  met  Soren  was  when  he  had  just 
started  in  his  Christian  career.  He  was  still  working 
at  his  business,  but  would  come  almost  daily  to  the 
home  of  Dr.  J.  J.  Taylor  to  study  English  and  the  Bible. 
One  characteristic  of  his  impressed  itself  upon  my 
mind  and  that  was  his  love  of  cleanliness  and  neatness. 
This  characteristic  he  has  kept  all  through  life  not 
only  in  his  apparel  but  in  his  home  and  in  his  life. 

Ever  since  then  I  have  followed  his  life  and  work 
and  praised  the  Lord  for  such  a  life  of  consecration 
and  usefulness.  No  doubt  the  good  wife  he  found  in 
dear  old  Kentucky  has  helped  him  wonderfully.  Who, 
looking  upon  the  great  work  that  he  has  been  able  to 
do,  does  not  praise  God  for  it?  In  spite  of  the  ob- 
stacles and  difficulties,  in  spite  of  the  almost  unbearable 
conditions  under  which  he  has  labored,  in  a  hall  unfit 
for  any  ordinary  congregation,  let  alone  the  enormous 
crowd  that  fill  the  preaching  place,  he  has  already  or- 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  187 

ganized  ten  Baptist  churches  and  still  has  a  congrega- 
tion of  over  five  hundred.    It  is  simply  astonishing ! 

What  is  the  secret  of  his  great  success?  The  only 
answer  I  can  give  is  his  preaching  of  the  plain  gospel. 
After  all  it  is  this  that  the  sick  soul  longs  for.  Soren 
can  be  eloquent  when  he  wants  to  be,  but  you  will  be 
disappointed  along  that  line  if  you  go  to  hear  him 
preach,  for  then  he  forgets  himself  and  with  a  heart 
full  of  love  for  lost  souls,  pleads  the  cause  of  his  Master 
in  such  simple  plain,  touching  language  that  one  can 
hardly  help  surrendering. 

Soren  is  a  great  man  of  God,  a  power  in  his  de- 
nomination. His  love  and  sacrifices  for  our  Rio  College 
and  Seminary  have  no  limit  and  though  on  that  account 
he  has  been  misinterpreted  and  misunderstood,  yet 
Soren  has  no  object  in  view  except  the  glory  of  God, 
the  good  of  his  people  and  the  establishment  of  the 
Baptist  cause. 

What  Soren  is  to  the  Baptist  cause  as  a  preacher 
Theodoro  is  as  a  writer.  God  gave  Soren  the  gift  of 
preaching  with  which  he  has  drawn  thousands  to  the 
feet  of  Christ — to  Theodoro  he  gave  the  gift  of  express- 
ing his  thoughts  in  writing  and  the  Lord  has  also  used 
him  and  the  gifts  in  winning  many  to  himself. 

The  first  time  I  had  anything  to  do  with  Theodoro 
was  soon  after  my  moving  to  Nictheroy  in  the  early 
part  of  1893.  He  was  anxious  to  do  something  for  the 
Master  and  I  tried  him  at  selling  books  and  Bibles  as 
a  colporter.  He  did  not  seem  to  be  very  successful  in 
that  line  of  business  and  I  lost  trace  of  him  until 
Brother  Entzminger  started  the  editing  of  our  de- 
nominational paper  in  Rio  and  called  Theodoro  as  his 
helper.     His    knowledge     of     Portuguese     cannot     be 


188  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

matched  and  his  way  of  expressing  his  thoughts  is  so 
unique  that  one  cannot  help  but  see  the  point  he  tries 
to  describe.  Brother  Soren  taught  him  English  which 
he  can  read  and  translate  readily,  though  he  is  unable  to 
speak  it.  In  this  particular  he  has  been  a  great  help 
in  the  editorial  department,  translating  direct  from  our 
American  papers,  Baptist  news  and  passages  that  have 
helped  to  build  up  the  Baptist  sentiment  and  cause. 
His  life  and  his  work  have  been  wonderfully  helpful  to 
our  cause  in  Brazil  and  we  thank  God  for  having  given 
to  us  such  a  life  with  such  a  gift. 

For  the  last  seven  years  I  was  closely  associated 
with  him  in  the  Publishing  House  and  I  must  say  that 
had  it  not  been  for  him  I  would  have  found  it  very 
difficult  to  carry  out  the  program  of  the  Publishing 
House.  Quiet,  unassuming,  untiring,  faithful,  honest 
and  loyal,  he  stands  today  as  a  monument  of  God's 
power.  Not  content  with  the  great  amount  of  work  he 
accomplishes  in  the  Publishing  House  he  is  untiring  in 
his  service  in  the  First  Baptist  Church,  where  he  is 
Sunday-school  Superintendent,  Treasurer  and  Presi- 
dent or  Secretary  of  some  of  the  church  organizations. 

And  what  shall  I  say  about  Thomas  da  Costa  ?  Very 
little  need  be  said  except  that  he  is  a  layman  that  be- 
lieves in  giving  God  the  first  place.  Wherever  he  has 
been  or  worked,  his  church  and  his  Savior  have  always 
had  the  preeminence.  And  God  has  blessed  him  most 
wonderfully,  giving  him  not  only  what  his  heart  de- 
sired, a  splendid  Christian  home,  but  also  wealth  and 
honors  that  he  has  laid  at  the  feet  of  the  Master. 

I  knew  him  first  in  Rio,  when  he  was  working  as  a 
poor  bottle-washer  in  a  wine  shop.  Then  I  met  him 
in  the  city  of  Para,  where  he  was  manager  of  a  shoe 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  189 

shop.  In  spite  of  the  heat  and  great  amount  of  work, 
he  helped  to  build  up  the  local  church.  Afterwards  I 
met  him  in  Sao  Paulo,  in  Bahia  and  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
always  hard-working,  always  faithful  and  true  to  his 
Master  and  his  cause. 

A  few  years  ago  he  started  in  a  business  of  his  own, 
taking  God  as  partner.  His  business  grew  and  before 
long  instead  of  having  one  store  he  had  four. 

Today  he  is  director  of  one  of  the  largest  shoe  fac- 
tories in  Brazil. 

Oh,  how  men  of  such  a  type  (and  their  number  in 
Brazil  is  growing  rapidly)  can  help  one  to  continue 
in  the  great  work  of  preaching  the  gospel.  May  God's 
richest  blessing  rest  upon  him  and  all  others  like  him. 

Deacons  Paranagua  and  Miranda  Pinto. — It  would 
be  impossible  to  give  in  this  chapter  a  description  of 
all  the  lives  that  have  been  of  blessing  and  help  to  me 
in  the  work  in  Brazil — ^but  I  cannot  close  this  chapter 
without  writing  a  few  words  about  these  two  laymen. 
One  a  physician,  a  man  of  high  social  standing,  ex- 
governor  and  ex-senator  of  his  own  native  State,  whose 
life  has  been  of  such  remarkable  consequence  to  our 
cause  in  Brazil.  The  other  a  civil  engineer,  holding 
one  of  the  highest  positions  a  man  can  obtain  in  an 
English  railroad  company,  a  full  graduate  of  an  Ameri- 
can Polytechnical  University  and  highly  related  socially 
on  his  wife's  side  as  well  as  his  own. 

It  was  my  privilege  to  stay  in  the  home  of  Dr. 
Parangua  for  over  six  months  and  watch  his  clean,  pure 
and  wholesome  life  from  close  quarters.  It  was  simply 
wonderful  to  witness  what  I  saw  with  my  own  eyes 
daily.  How  a  family  of  such  high  social  standing, 
visited  continually  by  some  of  the  highest  of  the  land 


190  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

lived  the  simple  and  pure  gospel  life  is  still  a  miracle 
to  me.  Dr.  Parangua  and  his  noble  wife,  a  daughter 
of  a  former  Swiss  Ambassador  to  Brazil,  never  lost  an 
opportunity  to  testify  for  the  Master.  In  a  masterful 
way  he  would  lead  the  conversation  to  the  theme  that 
was  uppermost  in  his  heart  and  then,  if  I  were  in  the 
house,  he  would  call  me  and  introduce  me  to  the  party 
that  I  might  speak  of  Jesus. 

And  what  he  did  in  his  home  he  was  doing  every- 
where he  went.  Sometimes  he  would  invite  me  to  visit 
the  Senate  or  House  of  Representatives  and,  using 
the  privilege  of  the  House  as  former  Senator  of  the 
Republic,  take  me  into  the  private  chambers  of  his 
former  colleagues  and,  introducing  me,  have  me  speak  of 
the  gospel  and  its  power  to  save.  He  was  untiring  and 
unceasing  in  his  testimony.  Once  I  found  him  sitting 
in  the  chair  of  a  shoe-black  and  while  the  Italian  was 
shining  his  shoes  he  was  reciting  to  him  portions  of  his 
New  Testament.  After  he  left  I  took  the  same  chair 
and  the  Italian  told  me  that  that  was  almost  a  daily 
custom.  When  I  informed  the  man  who  Dr.  Paranagua 
was  he  was  surprised.  He  thought  Dr.  Paranagua  was 
some  kind  of  a  religious  worker. 

By  living  in  his  house  and  noticing  the  great  spiritual 
influence  of  such  a  life  upon  the  nation,  I  have  been 
encouraged  to  go  in  the  preaching  of  Christ  to  such  a 
people,  certain  the  victory  will  be  ours. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  things  about  this  man 
of  God  is  his  humility.  I  have  noted  with  surprise,  and 
yet  with  my  heart  overflowing  with  a  joy,  when  I  saw 
Dr.  Paranagua  as  deacon  in  the  First  Baptist  Church 
work  side  by  side  with  deacon  Santa  Anna,  whose  coun- 
tenance was  as  black  as  one  ever  saw,  but  with  a  heart 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  191 

as  white  as  snow.  It  is  inspiring,  and  I  praise  God 
for  the  power  of  Jesus'  blood  which  even  today  can 
work  such  a  marvel. 

The  first  time  I  saw  Brother  Mirando  Pinto  was 
when  he  was  Traffic  Manager  of  a  Brazilian  railroad 
that  had  its  headquarters  in  Campos,  where  I  was  then 
stationed.  One  of  my  boys — a  member  of  my  church — 
brought  me  the  news  that  the  traffic  manager  had  a 
Bible  on  his  desk.  I  made  it  a  point  to  visit  him  and 
learned  from  him  that  he  had  been  in  the  States,  having 
taken  a  six-year  course  in  the  Boston  Polytechnic  In- 
stitute from  which  he  graduated  in  civil  engineering. 

"When  I  moved  to  Pernambuco,  Brother  Pinto  moved 
with  his  family  to  Nictheroy,  where  Dr.  Entzminger 
had  reorganized  our  Baptist  work,  which  had  relapsed, 
and  was  pastor  of  the  Nictheroy  Baptist  Church. 
Through  the  good  offices  of  one  of  the  members  of  the 
church,  Dr.  Entzminger  and  Brother  Pinto  became  ac- 
quainted and  the  acquaintance  soon  ripened  into  last- 
ing friendship.  By  patient  and  persevering  effort, 
Brother  Pinto  was  led  step  by  step  into  acceptance  of 
Christ  as  his  Savior,  and,  despite  the  opposition  of  his 
own  family  and  numerous  relatives  and  friends,  he 
accepted  baptism  and  for  many  years  was  the  most 
prominent  member  and  worker  in  the  little  church  in 
Nictheroy  serving  for  several  years  as  deacon.  Brother 
Pinto's  wife,  though  a  fervent  Catholic,  was  soon  so 
impressed  by  the  remarkable  change  that  had  taken 
place  in  her  husband,  that  she  too  accepted  Christ  and 
received  baptism.  One  by  one  their  eight  children  have 
been  converted  and  have  become  members  of  the  church. 
Today  the  Pinto  family  is  one  of  the  model  Christian 
homes  in  all  Brazil,  known  far  and  wide  among  our 


192  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Baptist  brotherhood  for  its  zeal  and  good  works. 
Wherever  Brother  Pinto  goes,  he  stands  four-square  for 
the  gospel  of  his  Master  and  Lord  and  is  a  tower  of 
strength  in  his  denomination. 

He  takes  a  deep  interest  in  every  phase  of  church 
work,  but  if  there  is  one  thing  he  emphasizes  it  is  the 
Sunday  school.  To  his  way  of  thinking,  the  Sunday 
school  can  render  the  most  effective  service  for  the 
spreading  of  the  gospel  in  Brazil.  In  the  church  of 
which  he  is  an  efficient  deacon,  he  is  also  Sunday-school 
superintendent,  and  to  it  he  gives  himself,  whole- 
heartedly. To  be  able  to  develop  the  Sunday  school 
of  his  church  in  all  its  departments  he  rented  a  house 
across  the  street  from  the  church,  fitted  it  up  with  every 
necessary  article — organ,  blackboards,  cards,  maps, 
charts  and  so  on,  all  at  his  own  expense,  and  today  he 
has  the  joy  of  knowing  that  his  Sunday  school  is  not 
only  one  of  the  largest,  but  also,  by  far,  one  of  the 
most  efficient  in  Brazil. 

Oh,  it  is  a  joy  to  be  with  him  and  watch  him  work 
for  the  Master! 

Drs,  B.  J,  Willingham  and  T.  B.  Bay. — I  cannot  fail 
to  mention  the  names  of  two  of  our  secretaries  in  the 
homeland  who  have  wielded  such  a  decided  influence  for 
good,  not  only  upon  my  life,  but  upon  all  the  Baptist 
work  in  Brazil. 

It  seems  to  me  as  if  it  were  only  yesterday  that  I 
was  kneeling  in  the  office  of  our  Foreign  Mission  Board 
together  with  dear  Dr.  Willingham  and  with  one  of 
his  hands  on  my  head  I  heard  him  offer  the  most  touch- 
ing and  heart-felt  prayer  for  my  welfare  and  work.  He 
was  a  friend  indeed  and  his  influence  upon  my  life  has 
been  profound.    Often  when  difficulties  and  trials  would 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  193 

abound  and  my  heart  would  almost  fail,  a  letter  would 
appear  from  that  man  of  God  full  of  encouragement 
and  cheer  and  I  would  continue  my  work  happy  and 
satisfied. 

And  what  shall  I  say  about  dear  Dr.  Ray.  What  his 
life  and  friendship  have  been  to  me  personally  it  is  im- 
possible to  relate.  Ever  since  it  was  my  privilege  to 
know  him  and  for  three  months  tour  with  him  over  some 
of  the  fields  in  Brazil,  I  have  loved  him  and  opened  to 
him  my  heart's  troubles  and  aspirations.  He  has  been 
a  real  brother  in  need  and  a  sane  adviser  in  all  of  my 
difficulties.  Oh,  how  often  have  I  praised  the  heavenly 
Father  for  the  gift  of  such  a  friend !  And  I  do  so,  even 
now,  praying  God's  richest  and  choicest  blessings  upon 
him  and  his  great  work. 

Companions  Innumerable. — I  wish  that  I  had  space 
to  write  something  worth  while  of  every  one  of  my  mis- 
sionary companions  in  Brazil,  especially  of  those  with 
whom  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  work,  but  I  must  be 
brief  or  else  this  book  will  be  too  voluminous  to  handle. 
However,  a  few  words  I  must  say,  for  every  one  of  them 
has  been  a  blessing  to  me  personally  and  I  hope  by 
enumerating  them  to  enable  the  reader  to  see  how  our 
Baptist  work  is  distributed  in  Brazil.  I  will  cite  them 
beginning  with  the  field  in  the  extreme  south  of  Brazil. 

Bio  Grande  do  SuL — ^While  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary of  the  Brazilian  Home  Board  I  received  an  urgent 
call  to  visit  a  small  group  of  Baptists  in  the  city  of 
Porto  Alegre,  capital  of  that  great  State.  I  was  unable 
to  leave  my  work,  so  I  telegraphed  to  Brother  A.  L. 
Dunstan,  then  working  in  Sao  Paulo,  and  asked  him  to 
visit  those  brethren.  I  offered  to  pay  his  expenses  from 
the  Home  Board  fund.    He  went  and  the  great  oppor- 


194  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTUR^E 

tunities,  the  wide-open  door  so  impressed  him  that  he 
resolved  to  move  his  work  to  that  part  of  Brazil.  This 
move  has  been  signally  blessed  of  God.  Brother 
Dunstan,  with  untiring  energy,  has  established  the  Bap- 
tist cause  in  that  region.  I  am  glad  to  learn  that 
Brother  R.  A.  Clifton  and  wife  are  to  be  located  in 
Rio  Grande  do  Sul.  There  are  now  about  a  dozen 
churches,  mostly  self-supporting,  and  a  great  many 
preaching  places.  The  future  of  that  field  is  wonder- 
fully bright. 

Parana  and  Santa  Catharina  Field. — ^When  Brother 
Deter  was  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  same  Home 
Mission  Board,  a  call  came  from  a  few  independent 
Baptist  churches,  situated  in  the  State  of  Parana,  to 
visit  them  and  help  them  to  join  the  Brazilian  Baptist 
Convention.  Brother  Deter  went  and,  after  remaining 
with  them  for  about  a  month,  left  the  field  organized 
and  duly  affiliated  with  our  convention.  Brother  Petti- 
grew  was  asked  to  move  into  that  State,  and  later 
Brother  Deter  himself,  moved  his  headquarters  to  the 
capital  of  that  State.  Today  there  are  a  great  Baptist 
host  in  that  field,  promising  wonderful  things  for  the 
near  future.  Brother  Deter  lately  organized  a  regional 
convention,  embracing  the  two  neighboring  States  in 
which  also  joined  several  German  and  Lettish  Baptist 
churches.  It  has  been  my  privilege  to  be  with  both  of 
those  brethren,  abiding  in  their  homes  and  preaching 
in  their  churches,  as  well  as  pleading  together  in  heart- 
felt communion  before  the  Throne  of  Grace.  Conse- 
crated men  of  God,  they  are  both  striving  earnestly  to 
advance  the  kingdom  of  God  in  that  great  field. 

Sao  Paulo  Field. — Here  we  have  living  and  working 
the  Bagbys,  Taylors,  Edwards,  Ingrams  and  Jacksons. 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  195 

How  I  wish  that  I  had  space  enough  to  do  justice  to 
every  one  of  these  consecrated  and  faithful  men,  who 
are  accomplishing,  in  their  respective  fields  of  labor, 
wonderful  things  for  the  Master.  But  I  must  be  brief 
with  only  a  few  lines  about  every  one  of  those. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  giving  a  more  extended  notice 
to  Dr.  and  Mrs.  W.  B.  Bagby,  who  are  our  oldest  mis- 
sionaries in  Brazil.  They  went  to  Brazil  in  1881.  Their 
forty  years  of  service  have  had  in  them  the  thrilling 
experiences  which  come  to  pioneer  missionaries  and,  of 
late,  the  satisfaction  arising  out  of  a  substantially  de- 
veloped work.  They  went  first  to  Santa  Barbara,  the 
American  colony  in  the  South.  When  Dr.  Z.  C.  Taylor 
came  in  1882,  they  moved  to  Bahia,  where  the  Bagbys 
remained  for  over  a  year,  and  then  moved  to  Rio  de 
Janeiro  and  gave  themselves  to  the  establishment  of 
our  cause  in  that  great  capital  city.  Dr.  Bagby  fostered 
also  the  work  in  the  regions  around  about  Rio  with  tire- 
less activity. 

When  the  Bagbys  returned  from  their  furlough  in 
1901,  they  located  in  Sao  Paulo,  the  capital  of  the 
State  by  the  same  name.  In  the  following  year  (1902) 
they  launched  the  now  celebrated  Sao  Paulo  College  for 
Women,  the  headship  of  which  Brother  E.  A.  Ingram 
has  recently  accepted. 

Their  lives  and  work  show  a  splendid  record.  After 
forty  years  of  faithful  toil  they  can  look  back  over 
the  past  and  recall  many  triumphs  of  the  Lord's  cause, 
in  which  they  were  permitted  to  have  a  large  share. 
No  one  should  get  the  impression,  however,  that  the 
work  of  the  Bagbys  is  done.  Even  after  making  a 
record  of  such  length,  they  press  forward  still,  with  the 
undaunted  activity  of  youth. 


196  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Speaking  of  the  Bagbys,  I  must  not  forget  the  young 
Bagbys.  T.  C.  Bagby  is  building  up  a  great  church  in 
the  city  of  Santos.  Fearless,  and  with  an  unbounding 
zeal,  he  is  preaching  the  gospel  and  winning  souls  for 
Christ  continually.  Alice  Bagby,  the  accomplished 
daughter  of  the  elder  Bagby 's,  has  recently  been  ap- 
pointed to  service  in  the  Sao  Paulo  Girls'  School,  a  work 
for  which  she  is  peculiarly  well  fitted. 

Dr.  J.  J.  Taylor  is  another  veteran  who  can  look 
back  upon  his  thirty  years  of  labor  in  Brazil  with  satis- 
faction and  joy.  The  great  secret  of  Brother  Taylor's 
work  is  his  knack  of  winning  the  confidence  and  love 
of  the  natives.  They  go  to  him  with  all  their  trouble 
and  he  sends  them  away  happy  and  satisfied.  An  ex- 
cellent writer,  a  profound  student  and  scholar,  he  is  now 
giving  to  the  Baptists  in  Brazil,  as  editor  of  our  Sun- 
day-school literature,  the  best  of  his  life. 

F.  M.  Edwards  is  known  in  Brazil  as  the  **  Sledge 
Hammer"  Evangelist.  One  should  hear  him  when  his 
heart  is  set  on  fire  and  he  seems  to  grip  the  audience 
with  a  power  divine.  He  is  a  great  worker  and  soul- 
winner,  having  accomplished  an  abiding  work  in  Brazil. 
One  of  the  greatest  delights  in  my  life  is  when  I  have 
the  privilege  of  visiting  his  home  and  his  people.  Every 
morning  we  would  spend  an  hour  or  so  together  in 
the  study  of  the  Word  of  God  and  in  intercession  be- 
fore the  Throne  of  Grace.  Those  were  moments  of 
spiritual  uplift  that  have  helped  me  on  my  life's 
way. 

E.  A.  Ingram  is  the  director  of  the  Brazilian  Baptist 
"Woman's  College.  "Happy  Ingram"  was  his  nickname 
in  Baylor  University,  and  he  is  certainly  doing  his  ut- 
most to  keep  up  that  title.     I  have  never  seen  him 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  197 

upset.  He  is  always  bubbling  over  with  happiness  and 
joy.  It  is  a  great  delight  to  spend  a  few  days  in  his 
lovely  home.  He  is  in  charge  of  the  Woman's  College 
of  Brazil,  and  one  of  the  greatest  marvels  to  me  has 
been  to  see  how  he  and  his  excellent  wife,  after  a  very 
short  period  in  the  country,  have  taken  hold  of  that 
great  institution  and  are  making  good. 

The  E.  A.  Jacksons  have  been  living  in  Sao  Paulo 
until  recently  they  have  moved.  Their  field  of  labor  is 
in  the  State  of  Matto  Grosso.  Full  of  zeal  and  self- 
sacrifice,  the  Jackons  are  building  up  a  great  work  in 
that  far-away  western  State. 

I  must  not  forget  my  young  friend  Stanton,  one  of 
the  young  missionaries,  also  stationed  in  this  field,  mak- 
ing his  headquarters  in  the  interior  city  of  Eibeirao 
Preto,  a  very  important  commercial  center.  Although 
new  in  the  field,  he  is  building  up  a  strong  Baptist 
church,  in  spite  of  great  obstacles. 

The  Campos  Field. — There  are  two  missionary  couples 
in  this  great  Mission  Station — the  Christies  and  the 
Bratchers.  The  first  giving  themselves  to  evangelistic 
work,  and  the  other  to  educational. 

To  describe  the  life  and  work  of  these  men  would 
need  a  volume.  These  men  have  built  wisely  and  estab- 
lished a  work  that  is  now  self-supporting  in  almost  all 
of  its  departments.  Sixty  churches  with  only  two  or 
three  receiving  a  little  help  from  the  State  Board ;  over 
one  hundred  Mission  Stations  that  will  be  churches  in 
the  near  future;  a  Baptist  Hospital,  established  and 
financed  by  the  native  believers,  etc.,  etc.,  this  is  the 
story  these  men  can  tell.  Brother  Christie,  the  older 
of  the  two,  is  a  great  power,  a  real  missionary  states- 
man, a  worker  that  need  not  be  ashamed. 


198  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

The  Victoria  Field. — Some  day  some  one  will  write 
the  history  of  this  Mission  Field,  when  it  will  be  shown 
that  the  work  done  by  the  Renos  has  perhaps  no  equal 
in  the  annals  of  missionary  work  in  South  America. 
It  has  been  my  privilege  to  be  with  them  and  in  their 
lovely  home  several  times — to  preach  for  them,  and 
travel  with  them  all  over  that  great  field.  Consecrated, 
self-sacrificing  and  diligent,  they  have  built  up  a  work 
that  has  stood  great  persecutions  and  will  stand  firm 
until  the  end.  The  greatest  asset  in  that  field  is  the 
spiritual  life  of  the  missionaries,  reflected  and  repro- 
duced in  the  lives  of  the  natives.  Honored  and  re- 
spected by  both  converts  and  unbelievers,  they  are 
making  the  Baptist  name  esteemed  and  the  name  of 
the  Master  revered. 

The  Blinas  Field. — Here  we  have  four  missionary 
couples:  The  Maddoxes,  Crosslands,  Aliens  and  Mor- 
gans. The  two  latter  couples  are  new  in  the  work, 
having  only  lately  arrived  on  the  field.  Both  Brother 
Crossland  and  Brother  Maddox  have  done  a  great  work 
in  Brazil  and  are  building  up  a  very  well  organized 
mission  field  in  the  great  State  of  Minas,  perhaps  the 
largest  in  the  Brazilian  nation.  Both  men  are  intensely 
evangelistic  and  both  are  strictly  orthodox,  believing 
in  a  whole  gospel  with  a  complete  Baptist  program. 
Both  have  wrought  valiantly  and  accomplished  great 
things,  and  are  destined  to  do  yet  greater  things  for 
Christ  and  the  Baptists. 

The  Rio  de  Janeiro  Field. — I  have  already  men- 
tioned some  of  the  workers  stationed  in  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
but  I  must  not  forget  to  mention  the  others  who  are 
toiling  most  effectively  in  that  great  metropolis — ^the 
heart  of  BraziL 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  199 

There  is  Dr.  A.  B.  Langston,  dean  of  our  Seminary 
and  pastor  of  one  of  the  most  progressive  churches — 
untiring,  lovable,  studious  and  sincerely  loved  and 
honored  by  all  that  come  to  know  him  intimately. 

In  Rio  we  also  have  Brother  S.  L.  Watson,  lately 
elected  Secretary  of  our  Publishing  Enterprise,  but  for 
the  last  six  years  efficient  professor  in  our  College  and 
Seminary.  In  the  absence  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Shepard, 
Brother  Watson  was  in  charge  of  the  great  Rio  College 
and  Seminary  and  for  two  terms  proved  himself  a  great 
administrator,  gaining  the  confidence  and  admiration  of 
everyone. 

We  also  have  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  the  Bakers.  Brother 
Baker,  besides  his  work  in  the  College,  to  which  he 
gives  most  of  his  time,  is  also  pastor  of  one  of  the 
city  churches.  These  two  positions  would  be  more  than 
enough  for  any  man,  but  he  is  also  Secretary  of  the 
South  Brazil  Mission,  Treasurer  of  the  Rio  de  Janeiro 
field,  and  member  of  innumerable  Boards.  Unceasing 
in  his  labors,  full  of  zeal  and  devotion,  he  gives  his 
time  and  his  all  to  the  Master  and  his  cause.  It  has 
been  my  privilege  to  live  with  and  know  him  in  his 
lovely  home,  and  often  have  I  praised  God  for  such 
men  and  lives  as  that  of  the  Bakers. 

In  Rio  de  Janeiro  we  have  also  the  Hites.  Brother 
Hites  began  preaching  when  only  two  months  on  the 
field.  He  has  a  wonderfully  clear  mind  and  although 
very  new  on  the  field,  is  already  doing  a  great 
work. 

I  must  not  forget  Miss  Ruth  Randall,  the  capable 
secretary  and  bookkeeper  of  our  College  and  Seminary ; 
Mrs.  Soren,  who,  besides  the  great  work  in  the  church 
where  her  husband  is  pastor,  is  looking  after  the  one 


200  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

hundred  and  fifty  or  more  girls  in  our  Girls'  School, 
who  look  to  her  for  inspiration  and  help. 

The  latest  addition  to  the  Rio  forces  is  Brother  J.  J. 
Cowsert,  who  has  gone  there  to  lead  in  the  evangelistic 
work. 

I  wish  that  I  could  also  tell  of  the  work  that  our 
missionary  women  are  doing — Mrs.  Shepard,  the  coun- 
cilor, adviser,  and  untiring  helper  of  her  husband; 
Mrs.  "Watson,  the  corresponding  secretary  of  the  W.  M. 
U.  of  Brazil;  Mrs.  Langston,  the  treasurer  of  our  W. 
M.  U. ;  and  so  on,  but  I  must  hasten  and  say  a  few 
words  about  the  brethren  in  Northern  Brazil. 

The  Bahia  Field. — Just  now  we  have  in  this  great 
field — the  Whites,  the  Stapps,  and  Brother  Sherwood. 

Brother  Sherwood  is  new  on  the  field  and  is  trying 
hard  to  get  a  grip  on  the  language  and  is  succeeding. 
He  is  the  kind  of  a  man  that  does  not  easily  give  way 
and  will  succeed  or  die  in  the  attempt.  I  spent  a  few 
days  with  him  while  passing  through  Bahia  and  fell 
in  love  with  him.  I  am  sure  that  he  will  make  good 
and  will  be  heard  from  ere  long. 

As  to  the  "Whites,  how  they  kept  up,  all  by  them- 
selves, such  a  great  field  as  the  Bahia  Mission,  is  a 
marvel.  There  are  over  forty  churches  in  that  field 
and  more  than  a  hundred  preaching  places.  Traveling 
facilities  are  very  poor.  Just  imagine  one  man  in  a 
State  as  large  as  Texas,  with  only  a  few  hundred  miles 
of  railways  and  you  can  realize  the  task  that  Brother 
White  has  on  his  hands.  That  the  work  in  that  field 
has  not  suffered,  but  really  gone  forward,  is  a  proof 
of  the  tenacity  of  purpose  of  the  man  stationed  there. 

The  Stapps  have  lately  moved  their  tent  into  a  neigh- 
boring State,  the  smallest  in  the  Brazilian  Union,  .^et 


COMPANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  201 

the  most  densely  populated,  that  of  Sergipe.  A  flour- 
ishing work  is  going  on  in  that  section.  Brother  Stapp 
is  gaining  the  love  and  trust  not  only  of  the  workers, 
but  also  of  the  converts  and  is  helping  to  establish  a 
very  prosperous  work  for  the  Master  in  that  region. 

The  Alagoas  Field. — Before  choosing  this  field  as  his 
sphere  of  labor,  Brother  John  Mein  was  doing  excellent 
work  in  the  Campos  Mission.  He  endeared  himself 
greatly  to  the  natives  and  was  anxiously  expected  by 
the  believers  of  his  new  field.  Active,  zealous,  conse- 
crated, and  spiritual,  he  is  accomplishing  great  things 
in  this  new  field  so  wonderfully  ripe  for  the  harvest. 

The  Pernamhuco  Field. — I  have  already  mentioned 
the  work  the  Muirheads  are  doing.  Besides  these,  there 
are  stationed  in  this  field,  the  Hamiltons,  the  W.  C. 
Taylors,  the  Johnsons,  Miss  Pauline  White,  who  is  in 
charge  of  the  Woman's  Training  School,  and  some  new 
missionaries  sent  out  lately,  that  I  have  not  met,  and 
whose  names  only  I  can  give.  They  are  Professor  and 
Mrs.  A.  E.  Hayes,  Professor  and  Mrs.  R.  S.  Jones,  Miss 
Essie  Fuller,  Miss  Bertha  Lee  Hunt  and  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
E.  G.  Wilcox. 

I  remember  meeting  Brother  Hamilton  and  his  good 
wife  in  Texas,  soon  after  the  death  of  his  saintly  brother 
and  when  he  had  offered  himself  to  the  Foreign  Mission 
Board  as  a  substitute  for  his  brother.  He  was  then 
superintendent  of  schools  in  Georgetown  county.  I 
could  not  fail  to  admire  his  courage  and  determination. 
I  have  been  in  his  home  at  various  times  and  my  ad- 
miration for  him  has  deepened  more  and  more.  He  is 
a  great  worker  and  has  made  his  life  of  great  value  to 
the  Kingdom's  work  in  Brazil.    Capable,  hard-working, 


202  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

and  full  of  faith,  lie  has  made  good  in  every  position 
he  has  occupied. 

Brother  W.  C.  Taylor,  as  dean  of  the  Pernambuco 
Seminary,  is  wielding  a  wide  influence  upon  the  work, 
and  the  future  manhood  of  the  great  North  of  Brazil. 
"Well  prepared  for  the  important  work  of  training  native 
helpers,  he  has  given  himself  unstintedly  to  it  and  is 
making  a  most  gratifying  success.  Not  content  with 
his  teaching  and  preaching,  he  is  also  writing  and  trans- 
lating several  books  of  great  value.  Brother  Taylor's 
coming  to  Brazil  has  been  a  great  blessing  and  we 
expect  from  him  yet  greater  things. 

I  have  not  had  opportunity  to  be  much  with  the 
Johnsons.  I  saw  him  only  once  and  that  at  a  convention. 
But  good  reports  about  his  life  and  work  can  be  heard 
from  all  over  the  field.  He  was  in  charge  of  the  evan- 
gelistic work,  visiting  the  churches  and  opening  up  new 
places.  All  the  natives  speak  highly  of  his  zeal,  knowl- 
edge,  and  spiritual  life. 

Miss  Pauline  White  is  doing  a  notable  work  among 
the  thirty  or  forty  young  ladies  that  are  sent  by  the 
churches  to  be  trained  for  the  Master's  service.  All 
the  girls  love  her.  Her  love  for  the  girls  equals  that 
of  a  mother.  It  was  my  privilege  to  be  in  the  college 
for  about  two  weeks  and  see  her  spiritual  influence  upon 
the  girls  and  I  could  not  but  praise  God  for  such  a 
life  and  such  a  gift  to  Brazil. 

The  Maranhao  Field. — Almost  directly  under  the 
equator  you  will  find  the  young  Parkers  in  charge  of 
a  district  that  embraces  three  of  the  largest  States — 
that  of  Ceara,  Maranhao,  and  the  North  of  Piauhy. 
Alone,  with  almost  no  native  help,  they  work  and 
struggle  day  and  night,  to  keep   up   the  great  work. 


COIMP ANIONS  AND  FRIENDS  203 

How  they  do  need  re-enforcement!  It  makes  one's 
heart  ache  to  see  them  there  alone — yet  they  are  not 
discouraged.  Happy,  full  of  faith  and  full  of  zeal,  they 
continue  to  preach  the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ  to 
poor  lost  souls  and  the  Lord  is  graciously  blessing  their 
efforts. 

The  Amazon  Valley. — I  have  mentioned  in  another 
chapter  the  great  work  Brother  Nelson  is  accomplish- 
ing in  the  Amazon  district.  This  is  just  to  add  that 
Brother  Nelson  lately  returned  to  his  field  of  labor  the 
happy  possessor  of  a  river  launch  in  which  he  expects 
to  live,  move  and  have  his  being,  traveling  up  and 
down  the  mighty  rivers  of  the  great  Amazon  valley. 
Few,  except  those  that  have  visited  that  region,  can 
realize  the  courage  and  determination  necessary  for 
such  an  undertaking;  but  Brother  Nelson  is  a  man  of 
faith  and  a  man  of  God.  He  goes  trusting  in  the 
One  who  has  all  power  in  heaven  and  on  earth  and 
who  has  promised  to  be  near  him.  In  our  prayers  let 
us  not  forget  this  servant  of  God  as  he  travels  all 
through  the  Amazon  valley  and  through  the  virgin 
forests  of  Brazil. 

The  Interior  Mission. — About  a  thousand  miles  away 
from  the  coast,  in  the  great  interior  of  Brazil,  you  will 
find  two  more  missionary  couples — the  Downings,  and 
Terrys.  They  are  trying  to  establish  an  Industrial 
School  for  the  benefit  of  the  thousands  upon  thousands 
of  Brazilians  who  never  had  an  opportunity  to  study. 
Brother  Downing  is  a  skilful  physician  and  with  his 
surgical  skill,  is  not  only  helping  in  the  school,  but  is 
also  drawing  many  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Great 
Physician,  who  not  only  can  cure  the  bodies,  but  also 
their  souls.    Brother  Terry  is  an  effective  preacher  and 


204  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

evangelist,  having  already  done  a  great  work  in  the 
North  of  Piauhy. 

With  that  Industrial  School  established  and  equipped 
at  Corrente,  a  great  center  for  Christ  will  be  organ- 
ized in  the  very  heart  of  Brazil,  whose  spiritual,  moral, 
and  social  influences  will  affect  the  whole  vast  and 
almost  untouched  interior.  What  an  opportunity  and 
what  a  future  awaits  the  Baptists! 


CHAPTL?v  IX 

BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  AND  WHAT  THE  BAPTISTS  ARE 
DOING   THERE 

Catliolicism  the  Greatest  Oosxade  to  Christianity. — 

Why  did  I  go  to  Brazil  and  what  led  me  to  that  part 
of  the  world  instead  of  to  the  work  among  the  Jews? 

The  answer  can  be  given  in  a  very  few  words. 

In  the  first  place,  as  to  my  working  among  Catholics 
instead  of  Jews,  my  answer  is  that  I  am  convinced  that 
no  converted  Jew  ought  to  work  among  the  Jews.  His 
mission  is  to  the  Gentiles,  to  those  who  know  not  the 
Messiah,  the  Savior  of  the  "World.  Of  course,  there 
are  some  converted  Jews  that  are  able  to  do  a  great 
work  among  their  brethren  according  to  the  flesh — ^but 
their  mission  and  usefulness  is  greatly  limited.  They 
could  have  accomplished  a  great  deal  more  if  they  had 
given  themselves  entirely  to  the  work  among  the  un- 
regenerated  Gentiles. 

Paul,  the  Apostle,  the  most  eloquent  and  competent 
of  the  Lord's  disciples,  had  to  turn  his  back  upon  his 
brethren  according  to  the  flesh  and  labor  among  the 
lost  Gentiles.  His  life  and  work  stand  until  this  day 
as  a  monument  of  blessing  and  power. 

This  same  result  is  noticeable,  though  in  not  such 
a  wonderful  degree,  in  the  labors  of  each  converted 
Hebrew  who  has  given  himself  to  the  work  of  evan- 
gelization   among   the    Gentiles.      Take,    as    examples: 

205 


206  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

Mosheim,  the  historian;  Edersheim,  the  theologian; 
Saphir,  Schwartz,  and  many  others,  in  all  parts  of  the 
world. 

It  was  this  conviction  that  made  me  turn  my  back 
to  the  work  among  my  brethren  according  to  the  flesh. 

Why  then  did  I  go  to  work  among  the  CathoHcs? 
Why  not  to  the  teeming  millions  in  China?  For  the 
simple  reason  that  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
greatest  obstacles  to  the  conversion  of  the  Jews  (and 
Gentiles  also),  and,  therefore,  the  greatest  obstacles  to 
the  evangelization  of  the  world,  is  the  Catholic  church, 
with  its  claim  of  being  Christian  and  yet  with  its 
idolatry,  its  materialistic  customs  and  traditions,  and 
its  degrading  superstitions. 

If  there  is  one  thing  that  is  drilled  into  a  young  Jew- 
ish heart  it  is  hatred  towards  the  worship  of  idols.  His 
very  instinct  and  nature  revolt  against  this  practice. 

Catholics  Worship  Idols. — I  will  never  forget  an  in- 
cident that  happened  to  me  as  I  was  once  walking  with 
my  father  through  the  streets  of  Warsaw.  We  were 
passing  a  Catholic  church  out  of  which  a  great  number 
of  people  were  issuing.  He  took  me  into  the  building 
and  called  my  attention  to  the  multitude  of  persons 
kneeling  and  praying  to  an  idol  in  the  form  of  a  human 
body  that  was  stretched  out  under  the  altar.  He  asked 
me  if  I  remembered  the  ten  commandments.  I  answered 
in  the  affirmative.  He  then  asked  me  to  repeat  to  him 
the  second  commandment  and  I  did.  Then  he  said: 
*  *  These  Christians  affirm  that  theirs  is  the  true  religion ; 
but  you  have  sense  enough  to  see  how  far  they  are  from 
the  truth.'* 

Catholicism  is  pure  and  plain  idolatry.  You  can 
call    the    idol    '* Diana"    or    ''Mary,"    ''Jupiter"    or 


BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  207 

*' Peter/'  it  is  an  idol  about  which  the  Psalmist  plainly 
speaks  in  the  115th  Psalm:  ''They  have  mouths,  but 
they  speak  not;  eyes  have  they,  but  they  see  not;  they 
have  ears,  but  the}^  hear  not  .  .  .  they  have  hands, 
but  they  handle  not  .  .  .  they  that  make  them  are 
like  unto  them;  so  is  every  one  that  trusteth  in  them.'* 

It  was  in  the  city  of  Braga,  Portugal,  that  I  visited 
a  church  edifice  built  by  the  Romans  in  the  time  of 
the  Emperor  Trajan,  who  lived  before  Christ.  There 
I  saw  two  idols  that  in  the  time  of  Pagan  Rome  were 
called  Janos  and  Jupiter,  but  these  were  worshiped 
now  by  the  Roman  Catholics  under  the  changed  titles 
of  Saint  John  and  Saint  Peter. 

To  combat  this  idolatry,  worse  than  pagan,  because 
of  its  Christian  veneer;  to  make  known  the  true  God 
and  his  beloved  Son,  the  Messiah,  the  Savior  of  Man- 
kind, was  what  drew  me  to  work  among  Catholics. 

Brazil  the  Most  Neglected  Mission  Field. — Then,  also, 
Brazil  was  thirty  years  ago  and  is  today,  one  of  the 
most  neglected  mission  fields  in  the  world. 

In  1890  very  few  missionaries  or  Mission  Boards 
were  working  in  Brazil.  The  Baptists  had  only  a  few 
couples  of  missionaries  with  a  small  number  of  churches, 
in  that  great  and  immense  field,  a  country  larger  in 
territory  than  this  United  States  of  ours.  And  even 
today,  with  the  number  of  missionaries  greatly  in- 
creased we  have  only  about  twenty  or  twenty-five  men 
who  are  dedicating  themselves  to  evangelism — twenty- 
five  to  about  twenty-five  miUions,  or  one  missionary  to 
a  million  souls. 

It  was  this  fact  that  drew  me  to  Brazil,  the  most 
neglected  field  in  the  Neglected  Continent,  and  I  do 
thank  God  for  having  led  me  there.     I  look  back  upon 


208  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

my  thirty  years  of  labor  in  Brazil,  upon  the  great 
changes  that  have  taken  place,  on  the  marvelous  growth 
of  the  cause  of  the  Master  and  feel  like  praising  and 
magnifying  his  name  for  having  permitted  me  to  have 
some  part,  though  really  a  very  little  part,  in  that  work. 

In  a  very  few  words  I  wish  to  close  this  book  with 
a  short  statement  about  Brazil  and  its  people,  some 
of  our  problems  and  plans  of  work  as  well  as  the 
progress  made  by  the  Baptists  up  to  the  present  time. 
I  am  sure  that  it  will  not  only  be  interesting,  but  very 
helpful  to  those  who  wish  to  have  a  part  in  the  evan- 
gelization of  the  many  millions  who  live  in  Brazil,  as 
well  as  help  us  to  prepare  the  ground  for  the  millions 
who  are  pouring  into  Brazil  and  who  in  the  next  few 
decades  will  take  possession  of  this  great  land,  ''The 
Future  Storehouse  of  the  World.'* 

Physical  Aspects  of  Brazil. — Take  a  glance  at  the 
map  of  Brazil  and  notice  that  the  immense  west  with 
its  rich,  fertile  lands  is  still  unexplored.  Yet  hidden  in 
those  virgin  forests  are  treasures  untold.  In  the 
Amazon  district  you  will  find  the  Manisoba  tree  that 
yields  rubber  which  has  no  equal  in  the  entire  world. 
Add  to  this  innumerable  specimens  of  timber,  whose 
excellency  is  incomparable,  and  that  is  just  beginning 
to  be  exported  tp  all  parts  of  the  world. 

To  the  south  of  the  Amazon  district  you  find  the 
vast  cotton  areas  of  the  States  of  Maranhao,  Ceara,  Rio 
Grande  do  Norte  and  Parahyba. 

In  the  State  of  Pernambuco,  and  as  far  south  as 
the  San  Francisco  river,  you  will  find  sugar-cane,  cotton, 
and  rice  in  great  abundance.  In  Bahia  you  will  see 
tobacco  fields  producing  the  finest  leaves  in  the  world 
and  Cacao  groves  that  yield  the  finest  beans  for  choco- 


BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  209 

late.  The  rivers  are  full  of  precious  diamonds  and  the 
earth  is  full  of  gold,  copper,  coal,  and  so  on. 

And  what  shall  I  say  of  Sao  Paulo  with  its  millions  of 
coffee  trees  and  Parana  with  its  forests  abounding  in 
pine,  and  Minas  with  its  inexhaustible  mines  of  iron 
and  manganese,  gold  and  precious  stones,  and  Matto 
Grosso  with  its  cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills  and  prairies 
full  of  horses  of  the  finest  breed. 

Brazil  is  no  doubt  a  veritable  land  of  Goshen,  a  land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  destined  by  the  Creator  to 
play  a  great  role  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

The  People  of  Brazil. — Four  traits,  among  many 
other  characteristics,  are  predominant  among  the 
Brazilian  people,  due  no  doubt  to  their  historical  make- 
up or  sociological  formation,  and  these  are :  intelligence, 
courage,  refinement  and  sacrifice. 

The  Brazilians,  as  a  rule,  are  exceptionally  intelli- 
gent. I  am  not  saying  that  they  are  learned,  for  unfor- 
tunately, on  account  of  their  leaders,  especially  the 
priests,  who  fear  education  and  knowledge,  there  are 
only,  according  to  the  latest  census,  about  15  per  cent 
of  the  people  who  can  read  and  write.  But  when  given 
an  opportunity  they  manifest  a  quickness  of  percep- 
tion, a  clearness  of  mind  and  a  readiness  to  learn  that 
is  surprising  indeed. 

Among  the  better  classes  there  are  very  few  that  do 
not  speak  more  than  one  language.  They  have  physi- 
cians, lawyers  and  engineers  that  rank  with  the  greatest 
in  the  world.  Few  will  have  forgotten  the  masterful 
way  the  Brazilian  lawyer  and  Senator  Ruy  Barbosa 
surprised  the  world  at  the  Hague  Conference  with  his 
profound  knowledge  of  and  courageous  stand  for  the 
principles  of  justice  and  right.     He  fought  and  vie- 


210  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

toriously  obtained  equal  rights  for  the  smaller  nations. 

To  realize  the  extraordinary  capacity  of  its  civil 
engineers,  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  visit  some  of  their 
engineering  feats  in  Brazil,  like  the  Central  Railway 
with  its  thirteen  double  tunnels  or  the  railroad  that 
climbs  up  the  hills  from  Paranagua  to  Curityba,  in 
the  State  of  Parana. 

One  of  the  most  encouraging  things  in  our  missionary 
work  is  to  see  the  transformation  that  takes  place  in 
the  youth  that  are  sent  from  the  Brazilian  lands  to  our 
colleges  and  seminaries.  They  learn  readily  and  rap- 
idly and,  after  finishing  their  courses,  they  become  pow- 
ers for  good  in  the  great  work  of  building  up  the  king- 
dom of  God  in  Brazil. 

Then,  also,  the  Brazilians  are  very  courageous. 
Brazilian  history  tells  us  of  many  instances  of  bravery 
and  courage  in  peace  as  well  as  in  war,  both  of  men 
and  women.  It  would  occupy  too  much  space  to  cite 
them  here;  but,  as  I  look  back  upon  my  own  experi- 
ences with  the  native  converts  and  helpers  and  remem- 
ber the  many  occasions  when,  for  the  sake  of  their 
faith  and  love  to  the  Master,  they  would  risk  their  lives 
and  their  all,  I  cannot  fail  to  testify  that  they  are 
a  wonderfully  courageous  and  brave  people,  a  people 
that  when  oceassion  requires  are  ready  to  stand  firm 
and  if  need  be  sacrifice  their  lives  for  the  cause  they 
love. 

When  ready  to  open  the  work  in  Limoeiro,  Per- 
nambuco,  I  asked  the  boys  in  the  Pernambuco  Seminary 
for  volunteers,  notifying  them  of  the  danger  and  that, 
very  likely,  we  might  have  to  lay  down  our  lives.  All 
the  boys  stood  ready  to  go.  They  were  ready  to  die 
for  the  Master. 


BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  211 

Before  leaving  for  the  homeland  in  1920  I  spent  a  few 
weeks  in  Pernambuco  and,  as  Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  Brazilian  Home  Board,  I  had  the  opportunity  of 
laying  before  the  Seminary  boys  and  girls  the  need 
of  the  Native  Indians  in  the  far  west  of  Brazil.  I  had 
photos  of  men  and  women  in  their  naked  and  savage 
state  and  described,  in  plain  language,  the  present  state 
of  things  in  the  virgin  forests  of  the  Far  West,  the  hard- 
ships, the  dangers,  the  difficulties.  When  I  made  my 
appeal  for  volunteers,  more  than  a  dozen  young  men 
and  women,  with  tears  streaming  down  their  faces,  con- 
secrated themselves  to  that  work  and  are  even  now 
preparing  themselves  to  go  and  live  for  Christ  among 
those  savage  and  neglected  tribes. 

The  Brazilians  are  also  a  refined  people. 

What  I  mean  by  refined  is  a  natural  disposition  of 
gentleness  and  culture.  The  educated  classes  treat  you 
with  great  attention  and  respect,  especially  those  that 
live  in  the  interior.  If  you  are  in  need,  they  will  share 
with  you  their  last  bowl  of  farina.  They  are  never 
rude,  bold  or  provoking.  They  will  always  listen  to 
your  side  of  the  argument  before  they  answer.  They 
never  laugh  at  your  mistakes. 

I  was  once  preaching  in  San  Fidelis  about  the 
Prodigal  Son.  There  were  present  a  great  many  of  the 
better  class  that  listened  attentively  to  my  poor  efforts. 
Now  there  are  two  words  in  Portuguese  very  much  alike, 
Bezerro,  which  means  a  ''calf,"  and  Besouro,  which 
signifies  a  ''beetle."  Imagine  my  horror  when  instead 
of  using  the  word  that  signifies  a  calf  as  I  spoke  of 
the  Father's  joy  in  having  his  younger  boy  back  home, 
I  said  that  he  ordered  a  "fatted  beetle."  But  to  my 
great  surprise,  not  a  muscle  could  be  seen  to  move  in 


212  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

any  of  the  countenances.  If  they  laughed  they  did  not 
let  me  see  it. 

As  you  walk  through  the  streets,  as  you  visit  public 
places,  in  their  homes,  everywhere  you  will  be  treated 
with  politeness  and  refinement. 

Then  also  the  Brazilians  are  people  ready  for  sac- 
rifice. 

The  sacrificial  spirit,  especially  of  the  Brazilian  be- 
lievers, surpasses  description.  Just  think  of  a  body  of 
twenty  thousand  young  converts,  half  of  them  not  get- 
ting any  salary  and  the  other  half  not  averaging  more 
than  fifty  dollars  per  month,  contributing  over  $170,000 
a  year  for  their  own  work!  They  love  to  give  and  to 
give  abundantly  to  the  work  of  the  Master. 

The  above  facts  should  teach  us  at  least  one  great 
lesson,  viz.,  that  the  Brazilians  are  a  strategical  people. 

To  gain  this  nation  for  Christ  and  his  cause  will 
mean  wonderful  things  in  the  near  future.  Brazil,  with 
its  open  doors,  will,  before  long,  have  a  population  of 
100,000,000  souls.  To  be  on  the  ground  now,  to  have 
places  of  worship  from  the  extreme  North  to  the  South, 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  borders  of  Bolivia  and  Peru, 
will  spell  success  in  the  next  twenty-five  to  fifty  years. 
Instead  of  having  to  overcome  customs  and  usages  of 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  years,  as  our  missionaries 
have  to  contend  with  in  China  and  Japan,  we  in  Brazil 
will  be  able  to  teach  and  mould  the  generations  to 
come  for  Christ  and  his  truth. 

A  great  people  and  a  great  future  is  before  the  Bap- 
tists of  the  world  and  with  God 's  help  we  ought  to  make 
this  people  and  this  nation  the  greatest  Baptist  Com- 
monwealth of  the  world. 

Hindrances. — The  chief  problem  in  our  work  in  Brazil 


BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  213 

is  the  universal  problem  of  sin,  in  all  its  manifesta- 
tions, aggravated  by  four  hundred  years  of  Tropical 
Roman  Catholicism.  Notice  that  I  especially  mention 
*' Tropical  Roman  Catholicism,"  for  I  believe  that  Ro- 
man Catholicism  in  the  tropical  climate  is  much  worse 
than  in  temperate  or  colder  climates,  though  only  God 
knows  how  bad  it  is  even  in  these  regions. 

What  terrible  havoc  has  Rome  wrought  upon  a  people, 
naturally  religious  and  God-fearing.  After  four  hun- 
dred years  of  ceremonialism,  of  cultivating  and  teach- 
ing superstitions  and  traditions  of  men,  of  prohibiting 
independence  of  investigation  and  inquiry!  Here  are 
some  of  the  results: 

1.  The  Word  of  God  is  an  unknown  book.  The  better 
classes  think  it  worthless  and  useless.  The  poorer 
classes  do  not  know  it  at  all. 

2.  Prayer  or  intimate  communion  with  God,  the 
Father  in  heaven,  is  unknown.  Those  that  do  pray  only 
repeat  phrases,  counting  the  beads.  Heart-to-heart 
communion  with  God  is  entirely  unknown. 

3.  God  himself  is  an  unknown  being  to  most  of 
them.  They  have  images,  crucifixes,  statues,  idols  of 
all  colors,  shapes  and  forms,  but  the  God  of  heaven 
and  earth,  all-powerful,  omniscient  and  omnipresent  is 
not  known. 

4.  Consequently  spiritual  life,  spiritual  ideals  and 
spiritual  power  are  unknown,  except  in  those  who  have 
accepted  Christ  as  their  personal  Savior.  The  power 
that  changes  life,  that  creates  a  new  being,  that  does 
away  with  sin  and  corruption  is  unknown.  The  priests 
themselves  will  tell  the  people,  "Do  as  I  say,  but  don't 
do  as  I  do."  The  corruption  of  the  confessional  is  not 
easily  removed  from  the  heart  and  life  of  a  nation. 


214  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

5.  The  saddest  thing  of  all  is  the  fact  that  Christ's 
love  and  free  offer  of  pardon  is  not  known.  Oh,  how 
they  strive  to  save  themselves  and  to  pacify  their 
troubled  consciences!  But  all  to  no  avail,  for  only 
Jesus  pardons  and  forgives  and  saves!  Jesus  is  not 
preached — his  gospel  is  not  published,  and  the  people 
die  in  their  sins  for  lack  of  knowledge. 

These  are  the  problems  that  confront  the  worker 
in  Brazil  and  their  natural  results  can  easily  be  im- 
agined. 

Praised  be  his  name,  these  problems  are  being  solved ! 
Slowly,  but  steadily,  the  workers  with  the  help  of  him 
who  has  promised  to  be  with  us  even  unto  the  end,  are 
solving  all  these  problems  in  a  most  remarkable  way. 

What  Baptists  Are  Doing  In  Brazil. — It  has  been 
my  privilege  to  witness  the  growth  of  the  Baptist  cause 
in  Brazil  for  the  last  thirty  years,  and  it  seems  to  me 
that  it  will  encourage  our  brethren,  who  so  willingly 
and  gladly  contribute  to  the  cause  of  Foreign  Missions 
for  me  to  recount  here  briefly  what  Baptists  are  doing 
in  Brazil. 

The  first  missionaries  sent  to  Brazil  were  great  seed- 
sowers.  They  spread  the  good  news  far  and  wide  and 
laid  the  foundation  for  the  present  growth  and  develop- 
ment. Just  as  it  happened  in  the  time  of  the  apostles, 
so  today:  ''I  have  planted,  ApoUos  watered;  but  God 
gave  the  increase. ' ' 

Z.  C.  Taylor,  W.  B.  Bagby,  E.  A.  Nelson,  W.  E. 
Entzminger,  A.  B.  Christie,  F.  M.  Edwards,  0.  P. 
Maddox,  A.  B.  Deter,  and  others,  many  others  planted 
the  good  seed.  J.  W.  Shepard,  H.  H.  Muirhead,  A.  B. 
Langston,  Miss  Voorheis,  Mrs.  Bagby  and  others,  many 
others,  watered,  and  God  has  given  the  increase,  the 


BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  215 

wonderful,  marvelous  increase.  Who  can  estimate  what 
the  future  will  yet  bring  forth  ? 

To  my  mind  the  miracle  of  the  five  loaves  and  fishes 
repeats  itself  continually  on  the  mission  field.  The 
money  that  we  give,  the  sacrifices  we  make  for  him,  he 
accepts  and  blesses  and  then  uses,  multiplying  it  a 
thousandfold  and  satisfying  the  multitudes. 

The  book  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  has  never  been 
finished,  for  the  doings  of  the  missionaries  in  the  mission 
fields  are  the  continuation  of  the  same  acts.  The  same 
God  is  with  them — the  same  spirit  inspires  them — the 
same  power  upholds  them.  Our  monthly  magazine,  the 
*'Home  and  Foreign  Fields,"  ought  to  change  its  title 
to  the  following:  ''The  Acts  of  the  Apostles  in  Mod- 
ern Times."  As  you  read  the  letters  from  the  workers 
stationed  in  China  or  Africa,  Oklahoma  or  Mexico, 
Italy  or  South  America,  does  it  not  strike  you  that  you 
are  reading  new  editions  of  the  happenings  related  of 
Paul  and  Barnabas? 

Mission  work  is  usually  divided  into  three  branches: 
Evangelistic,  Educational,  and  Social.  I  am  going  to 
show  you,  dear  reader,  what  the  Baptists  in  Brazil  have 
done  and  are  doing  in  these  three  lines  of  work  as  I 
have  witnessed  it  during  my  thirty  years. 

I.  Evangelistic. — If  there  is  one  characteristic  that 
distinguishes  the  Brazilian  convert  more  than  any  other 
it  is  his  desire  to  tell  the  good  news  to  others.  Having 
been  kept  in  ignorance  and  superstition,  harassed  by 
priest  and  politician,  oppressed  and  down-trodden,  his 
heart  overflows  as  soon  as  he  grasps  the  meaning  of 
the  gospel.  He  just  bubbles  over  with  joy  and  he  can- 
not keep  quiet.    He  must  go  out  and  tell  others. 

On  account  of  this  spirit  of  evangelism,  the  cause  has 


216  A  MISSIONARY  ADVIENTURE 

spread   and  prospered  in  a  most  remarkable   degree. 

The  first  church  was  organized  in  Bahia,  October  15, 
1882,  with  five  members,  only  one  of  these  was  a  native 
convert.  In  1891  when  I  joined  the  Baptists,  we  had 
two  flourishing  churches  in  the  two  principal  cities  of 
Brazil  and  several  smaller  churches  and  outstations 
in  the  interior  of  Bahia,  Alagoas,  and  Minas.  Ten  years 
after  that,  1900,  we  had  work  in  the  Amazon  valley; 
in  the  Pernambuco  district  in  which  were  included  the 
States  of  Parahyba,  Rio  Grande  do  Norte,  and  Alagoas ; 
in  Bahia,  which  had  extended  its  operations  as  far  west 
as  the  San  Francisco  valley  and  as  far  south  as  the  Vic- 
toria field.  The  Rio  de  Janeiro  mission  had  developed 
and  was  operating  in  the  Campos  field,  and  was  just 
entering  into  the  great  State  of  Sao  Paulo. 

In  1910,  when  Dr.  T.  B.  Ray  made  us  that  memorable 
visit,  Brazil  reported  the  following  progress,  as  can  be 
seen  in  his  book  * '  Brazilian  Sketches ' ' : 

1910 

Churches    142 

Membership    9,939 

Church  buildings 44 

Outstations    497 

Sunday  schools    138 

Sunday-school  pupils    4,438 

Missionaries    44 

Native  helpers   117 

That  was  excellent  progress.  Now  have  a  look  at 
the  statistics  ten  years  after  as  presented  to  our  For- 
eign Mission  Board  for  the  year  ending  1920. 

1920 
Churches   221 


BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  217 

Outstations    820 

Baptisms    2,627 

Membership    20,135 

Houses  of  worship 143 

Sunday  schools    322 

Sunday-school  pupils    14,957 

Native  contribution  $176,721 

Missionaries    86 

Native  helpers   197 

Truly  the  Lord  is  doing  wonders  and  looking  at  the 
results  we  cannot  but  praise  him  and  magnify  his 
blessed  name ! 

And  yet,  how  much  there  still  remains  to  be  done ! 

The  chief  employment  of  the  missionary  who  gives 
himself  to  evangelistic  work  is  opening  up  of  new 
centers.  Although  in  some  places  a  competent  native 
could  do  it,  as  a  rule,  it  has  to  be  done  by  the  mis- 
sionary, who  in  a  certain  way  can  demand,  if  neces- 
sary, the  protection  of  the  authorities.  Our  schools 
and  seminaries  are  preparing  excellent  men  for  the 
ministry.  As  soon  as  a  church  is  organized  and  the 
work  is  running  smoothly,  it  is  turned  over  to  a  com- 
petent native  minister  who  usually  carries  it  forward. 

Now,  according  to  information  received  from  the 
government,  there  are  about  2,228  county  seats  in 
Brazil,  cities  with  a  population  ranging  from  2,500  to 
more  than  50,000.  Some  of  these  counties  are  larger 
than  some  of  our  States.  The  county  of  Jacobina  in 
the  interior  of  the  State  of  Bahia  is  larger  than  the 
Republic  of  Portugal. 

Now  look  at  the  statistics  and  make  your  own  cal- 
rulation.     We  have  221  organized  churches.     Suppose 


218  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

one  hundred  of  these  are  situated  in  those  important 
centers — county  seats — that  leaves  over  2,000  yet  to  be 
occupied.  Now  for  that  work  we  have  eighty-six  mis- 
sionaries, of  which  forty-one  are  men.  Out  of  these 
forty-one,  about  fifteen  are  occupied  in  educational 
work  and  you  will  realize  that  we  have  only  twenty- 
five  who  are  able  to  give  themselves  to  the  great  work 
of  evangelization. 

Oh,  the  need  of  workers,  especially  evangelists,  men 
full  of  zeal  and  courage  and  above  all  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost ! 

Two  great  evangelistic  agencies  are  helping  to  con- 
quer Brazil  for  Christ:  The  Sunday  school  and  the 
Bible  institutes.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  by  this  that 
those  are  the  only  agencies.  Thank  God  for  our  schools 
and  colleges  that  are  doing  so  much,  as  I  will  be  able 
to  prove  before  long.  But  I  am  mentioning  these  two 
because  of  their  direct  connection  with  our  evangelistic 
work. 

Every  Sunday-school  class  in  Brazil  is  an  evange- 
listic agency.  We  not  only  train  our  young  converts 
there,  but  have  special  classes  for  outsiders.  As  it  is 
in  the  homeland,  so  also  on  the  foreign  field,  the  Sun- 
day school  supplies  the  church  with  most  of  its  candi- 
dates for  baptism. 

The  same  can  be  said  of  the  Bible  institutes  held  in 
almost  all  of  the  mission  fields.  They  are  carefully 
organized  with  special,  well  arranged  programs  and 
the  evangelistic  note  is  upheld.  Christ  is  lifted  high 
and  souls  are  brought  to  the  Master's  feet  in  a  most 
remarkable  way. 

II.  Educational. — The  first  school  started  by  the  Bap- 
tists in  Brazil  was  in  1888  by  Miss  Maggy  Rice,  in  Rio 


BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  219 

de  Janeiro.  Unfortunately  yeUow  fever  robbed  Brazil 
of  the  precious  life  of  that  young  missionary  and  with 
her  died  the  first  attempt  in  educational  work. 

In  1895  Mrs.  Ginsburg  opened  a  school  in  the  city 
of  Campos  that  was  making  rapid  progress,  patronized 
by  the  best  families  of  the  town — but  failing  health 
and  a  great  epidemic  of  smallpox  destroyed  that  effort. 

Two  Baptist  ladies  from  the  United  States  came  to 
Brazil  in  1898  with  a  small  capital  of  their  own  and 
started  a  school  in  the  new  capital  of  the  State  of 
Minas,  the  city  of  Bello  Horizonte.  It  prospered  con- 
siderably as  long  as  the  city  was  prospering;  but  as 
soon  as  the  city  quieted  down  and  most  of  the  work- 
men occupied  in  government  buildings  had  to  leave 
town  the  school  waned  and  was  finally  closed  out. 

The  year  1898  witnessed  also  the  organization  of 
the  school  in  Bahia  by  Mrs.  Z.  C.  Taylor.  This  school 
was  opened  under  most  auspicious  circumstances.  A 
wealthy  coffee  planter,  who  was  a  devoted  Baptist  and 
was  anxious  to  see  his  own  girls  as  well  as  the  girls 
of  other  people  educated  gave  Mrs.  Taylor  $5,000  for 
the  equipment  of  her  school;  $2,000  were  added  to  this 
sum  by  other  members  of  our  churches  and  the  school 
assumed  at  once  the  leading  place  in  our  school  work 
in  Brazil.  This  school  made  a  splendid  record.  After 
Mrs.  Taylor  gave  it  up  on  account  of  the  necessity  of 
her  returning  to  the  United  States,  Brother  C.  F.  Stapp 
conducted  it  down  to  about  three  years  ago,  when  it 
was  discontinued  with  a  view  to  reorganizing  it  in 
the  interior  of  the  States,  after  the  fashion  of  our  moun- 
tain schools. 

It  was  in  1901,  while  stationed  in  Pernambuco  that 
Mrs.   Ginsburg   and  myself  were   able   to   realize   our 


220  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

dreams  of  starting  a  school  for  the  children  of  believers 
and  a  Bible  class  to  train  those  who  were  anxious  to 
preach  the  Word  of  God.  The  primary  school  we 
opened  in  the  temporary  hall  situated  on  the  property 
that  the  First  Church  had  acquired.  The  Bible  class 
we  started  in  our  own  home — Mrs.  Ginsburg,  Mr.  J.  E. 
Hamilton,  and  others  helping.  That  was  our  first  at- 
tempt.   Now  see  what  the  Lord  has  done. 

Looking  over  the  report  for  1920  you  will  find  that 
we  now  have  in  Brazil: 

Fifty-one  primary  or  elementary  schools. 

These  are  usually  connected  with  the  local  churches 
and  supervised  either  by  the  local  pastors  or  a  com- 
mittee appointed  by  the  churches.  They  are  almost 
all  self-supporting. 

The  reason  for  the  existence  of  such  schools  is  very 
simple.  While  most  of  the  public  schools  are  sup- 
posed to  be  free  from  religious  teaching,  yet  the  Catho- 
lic priest  has  such  a  grip  upon  the  politicians  that  very 
few  teachers  are  appointed  unless  they  have  the  ap- 
proval of  the  priest.  As  a  result  the  teachers,  especially 
in  the  smaller  towns,  are  more  or  less  subject  to  the 
priest  and  Romanism  is  taught  and  practiced  openly. 
In  some  of  the  interior  cities,  where  the  priest  rules 
with  a  strong  hand,  I  have  seen  the  children  of  Bap- 
tist families  forced  to  bow  down  to  idols  and  to  accom- 
pany public  processions. 

Now  if  there  is  one  thing  that  believers  in  Brazil 
hate,  with  a  holy  hatred,  it  is  idolatry — Roman  Catho- 
lic idols — and  they  will  make  any  sacrifice  to  keep 
their  children  away  from  idol  worship.  Hence  this 
sacrifice  for  primary  schools  in  connection  with  the 
local  churches.    I  have  seen  small  churches  of  one  hun- 


BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  221 

dred  or  one  hundred  and  fifty  members  pay  their 
pastor's  salary  in  addition  to  paying  all  current  ex- 
penses of  rent,  etc.,  and  also  pay  the  salary  of  three 
or  more  teachers  in  order  that  their  children  be  edu- 
cated without  being  contaminated  with  this  baneful 
Roman  Catholic  idol-worship. 

Besides  these  elementary  schools  we  have  academies 
and  high  schools,  both  for  boys  and  girls  in  the  fol- 
lowing mission  centers: 

Victoria.  This  school  is  under  the  competent  man- 
agement of  Brother  and  Mrs.  L.  M.  Reno,  who  are 
preparing  more  than  a  hundred  young  men  and  as 
many  young  ladies  for  a  great  future,  not  only  for 
their  own  people,  but  also  for  Christ. 

Campos,  directed  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Bratcher.  A 
great  school  whose  influence  upon  the  community  is 
powerful.  There  are  about  two  hundred  pupils  in  this 
school  coming  from  the  best  families  of  the  district 
all  under  the  influence  of  the  gospel  and  of  the  spiritual 
lives  of  this  godly  couple. 

Bello  Horinzonte,  the  capital  of  the  State  of  Minas. 
This  school  was  opened  a  few  years  ago  by  Brother 
and  Mrs.  0.  P.  Maddox.  It  is  now  under  the  direction 
of  Brother  and  Mrs.  Morgan.  It  is  a  great  blessing  not 
only  to  the  children  of  the  believers,  but  also  is  draw- 
ing the  youth  of  the  outsiders  and  is  exercising  a  mighty 
influence  for  good  in  the  whole  community. 

Paranagua,  the  most  important  commercial  city  of 
the  State  of  Parana.  This  school  is  under  the  direct 
supervision  of  Brother  Deter  and  is  making  a  most 
encouraging  progress. 

Brother  Dunstan,  in  Porto  Alegre,  and  Brother 
Jackson,  in  Campo  Grande,  Matto  Grosso,  have  flourish- 


222  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

ing  schools.  The  latter  opened  only  lately,  both  exercis- 
ing tremendous  influence  for  good  in  their  respective 
communities. 

Altogether  we  have  eleven  academies  or  high  schools 
under  the  direct  supervision  of  our  Baptist  forces. 
Their  influence  is  powerful,  yet  their  number  in  com- 
parison with  our  need  is  so  limited  that  it  is  really 
pitiful. 

Every  Mission  Station  ought  to  have  a  well-organized 
and  well-equipped  academy  in  charge  of  a  couple  of 
missionaries  specially  prepared  to  do  that  kind  of  work. 
It  is  only  thus  that  we  will  be  able  to  meet  our  edu- 
cational opportunity. 

The  greatest  blessing  that  has  come  to  Brazil  along 
with  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  was  the  gift  of  our 
great  colleges  and  seminaries,  whose  spiritual  influences 
are  exercised  effectively,  not  only  upon  our  churches 
and  believers,  but  also  upon  the  whole  Brazilian  nation. 
I  refer  to  the  College  and  Seminary  in  Rio  with  its 
600  pupils;  the  College  and  Seminary  and  Training 
School  in  Pernambuco  with  its  900  pupils,  and  the 
Woman's  College  and  Training  School  in  Sao  Paulo 
with  its  250  pupils. 

Just  a  few  lines  about  each. 

The  College  and  Seminary  established  February, 
1908,  in  the  Federal  Capital  of  Brazil  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Dr.  J.  W.  Shepard,  is  considered  to  be  one  of 
the  best  colleges  in  Brazil.  It  has  a  splendid  body 
of  teachers,  and  is  attracting  pupils  from  the  leading 
families  of  the  land.  It  occupies  an  excellent  piece 
of  property,  situated  in  the  best  residential  section  of 
the  great  metropolis.  It  naturally  has  a  promising 
future  before  it.     According  to  the  plans  of  the  direc- 


BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  223 

tor  and  the  Board  of  Trustees,  that  college  will  soon 
be  transformed  into  a  great  Baptist  University.  Wor- 
ship is  held  in  the  chapel  every  morning  and  special 
evangelistic  services  once  every  week  and  the  Lord  is 
converting  many.  The  influence  of  this  institution  is 
felt  not  only  in  the  great  city,  with  its  million  and  a 
quarter  of  souls,  but  all  over  the  county,  for  Rio  de 
Janeiro  is  the  heart  of  Brazil  and  whatever  happens 
in  Rio  is  felt  all  over  the  country. 

The  same  might  be  said  about  our  College,  Seminary 
and  Training  School  of  Pernambuco,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Brother  H.  H.  Muirhead.  Pernambuco  being 
a  smaller  city,  with  a  population  of  only  250,000,  the 
influences  of  an  institution  like  that  are  naturally 
greater  in  the  local  community  than  in  a  city  like  Rio 
with  a  million  and  a  quarter  population.  Then  also  the 
opposition  of  the  iconoclastic  element  in  Pernambuco  is 
greater  than  in  Rio  and  consequently  the  blessings  are 
more  signal,  for  wherever  persecution  is  wielded  the 
work  prospers  far  more  than  where  indifference  pre- 
vails. The  college  in  Pernambuco  is  certainly  destined 
to  do  a  great  work  for  our  Master  and  Lord.  The 
preparation  of  forty  young  men  for  the  ministry  and 
about  forty  young  women  for  the  service  of  the  King 
is  a  great  asset  for  the  future  of  our  churches  and  mis- 
sion fields. 

The  Woman's  College  of  Brazil,  located  in  Sao  Paulo, 
was  started  by  the  Bagbys  in  1902.  For  many  years 
they  struggled  and  toiled  and  now  its  future  is  guaran- 
teed. Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  A.  Ingram  are  directing  this 
great  institution  with  great  skill  and  good  results. 
Lately  an  excellent  piece  of  property  was  bought,  on 
which   a  new  modern  building  will  be   put   and  the 


224  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

numerous  young  women,  that  are  anxious  to  enter,  can 
be  accommodated.  One  of  the  greatest  delights  in  this 
great  institution  is  to  look  into  the  faces  of  these  beauti- 
ful young  women  coming  from  the  best  people  in  the 
land  and  preach  Christ  to  them.  Just  imagine  the 
future  of  Brazil  with  these  young  ladies,  touched  by  the 
lives  of  such  women  as  Mrs.  Bagby,  Mrs.  Edward, 
Mrs.  Ingram!  It  is  sure  to  tell,  and  the  future  looks 
to  me  wonderfully  hopeful  and  bright. 

in.  Socially. — What  effect  do  the  Baptists  produce 
upon  the  social  life  of  the  Brazilian  people?  This  is 
a  great  question  and  I  want  to  give  you  a  plain  answer. 

1.  Every  Baptist  church  raises  the  standard  of 
morals  in  the  community.  When  it  is  first  organized 
it  is  combatted  and  ostracized,  but  once  the  people 
realize  the  principles  we  stand  for,  they  admire  and 
uphold.  To  become  a  member  in  a  Baptist  church  in 
Brazil,  one  has  to  prove  he  has  real  and  true  regenera- 
tion. A  committee  is  appointed  to  investigate  the  life 
and  behavior  of  a  candidate  before  he  is  accepted  into 
the  church.  The  Baptist  church  is  looked  up  to  as  a 
standard  of  morality  in  its  community  and  can  be 
depended  upon  to  stand  up  for  all  righteousness.  The 
influence  of  over  200  Baptist  churches  and  about  800 
mission  stations  spread  over  the  whole  territory  is 
telling  wonderfully  upon  a  people  whose  standard  of 
morals  was  the  priest  with  his  immoral  dictum:  *'Do 
as  I  tell  you,  but  don 't  do  as  I  do. '  * 

2.  Then  the  life  of  the  converts  is  exercising  a 
powerful  influence  for  good  everywhere.  At  first  the 
people  will  laugh  and  scoif  at  him,  but  finally  receive 
him  with  open  arms  and  admire  him  for  his  moral  cour- 
age and  behavior.    I  have  found  this  to  be  the  case  all 


BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  225 

over  Brazil,  in  every  class  of  society.  Dr.  Paranagna, 
ex-governor  and  ex-senator,  moving  in  the  highest 
circles  of  society,  was  at  first  ridiculed  by  his  former 
colleagues.  Today  all  this  has  changed  and  when  he 
enters  the  Senate,  everyone  is  anxious  to  wish  him  God- 
speed in  his  efforts  to  witness  for  Christ.  It  has  been 
my  privilege  to  visit  in  his  company  the  Senate  and 
House  of  Congress  and  distribute  books  and  papers  to 
his  former  colleagues  and  enjoy  the  respect  with  which 
all  would  listen  to  the  message  we  brought  them. 

What  Dr.  Paranagua  is  doing  is  being  done  by  prac- 
tically every  convert  in  Brazil.  Such  lives  and  liv- 
ing testimonies  tell  nad  will  bring  forth  inevitable 
results. 

3.  Our  convention  with  its  various  Boards  is  making 
a  fine  impression  upon  the  natives.  Our  annual  meet- 
ings together  with  the  annual  reports  of  our  Boards 
receive  wide  publicity  through  the  daily  press.  Our 
Home  Mission  Board  with  its  program  of  work  among 
the  many  tribes  of  uncivilized  Indians  is  stirring  up  not 
only  our  own  Baptist  folk,  but  also  the  general  public. 
Our  Foreign  Mission  Board  with  a  progressive  work 
in  Portugal  and  a  great  program  of  evangelizing  all 
Portuguese-speaking  people  is  attracting  much  atten- 
tion. The  whole  work  of  the  convention  laid  out  upon 
the  plan  of  our  Southern  Baptist  Convention,  so  simple, 
so  democratic,  yet  so  aggressive  and  unified  is  drawing 
the  attention  of  the  leaders  of  the  nation  and  is  having 
its  effect  not  only  upon  their  public  speeches,  but  also 
upon  their  deliberations  and  laws. 

Just  one  illustration  will  suffice.  When  an  appeal 
was  made  to  Congress  to  let  us  have  at  a  reasonable 
price  a  certain  piece  of  property  in  Rio  belonging  to 


226  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

the  government,  which  was  going  to  be  sold  at  auction 
as  we  intended  to  use  it  for  school  as  well  as  for 
church  purposes — Congress  passed  an  act  giving  us 
the  property  at  50  per  cent  discount  on  the  price  for 
which  the  adjoining  properties  might  be  sold,  stipulat- 
ing, however,  certain  conditions  that  inhibited  us,  on 
account  of  our  principles,  from  obtaining  that  prop- 
erty. Imagine  the  surprise  of  the  government  leaders 
when  we  informed  them  that  we  could  not  accept  that 
property  on  account  of  the  conditions.  We  were  not 
willing  to  even  appear  to  establish  a  union  between 
the  church  and  the  State,  a  principle  that  we  as  Bap- 
tists opposed.  This  incident  gave  us  a  tremendous  op- 
portunity for  making  our  principles  known. 

4.  The  Publishing  House  is  exercising  a  powerful 
influence  upon  the  nation.  Our  weekly  paper  pene- 
trates into  all  parts  of  the  land.  We  issue  an  edition 
of  over  5,000  copies  and  its  editorials  and  valuable 
articles  are  read  by  thousands  upon  thousands  of  the 
people.  In  some  places  it  is  the  only  paper  that  is 
received  and  when  it  arrives  it  is  read  and  discussed 
in  the  public  square. 

Then  several  of  the  books  that  have  been  published 
are  exercising  a  great  influence  upon  the  people. 

Yes,  the  Baptists  are  making  a  powerful  impression 
upon  the  Brazilian  people.  The  seed  sown  is  bringing 
forth  its  fruit  and  in  due  season  we  shall  reap,  if  we 
faint  not. 

Thirty  years  or  even  forty  or  fifty  is  not  a  long  time 
in  the  Lord's  work  for  showing  actual  results — ^but 
even  in  this  short  time  we  have  seen  results  and  what 
we  have  seen  is  an  earnest  of  what  is  to  come.  Our 
Lord's  arm  has  not  been  shortened  and  his  power  has 


BRAZIL  AS  A  MISSION  FIELD  227 

not  diminished.     Today,  as  he  was  yesterday,  and  as 
he  will  be  forever — he  is  the  same! 

And  now,  in  bringing  this  book  to  a  close,  let  me 
tell  the  following  story,  as  being  typical  of  the  power 
of  the  gospel  in  Brazil  and  of  the  cry  of  all  Christian 
Brazilians  on  behalf  of  themselves  and  their  people. 

A  Bible  Organizing  a  Baptist  Church. — A  Bible  had 
been  given  to  the  Registrar  of  Deeds  in  the  city  of 
Conquista,  situated  in  the  extreme  south  of  the  State 
of  Bahia.  He  began  reading  it  and  read  it  to  his  neigh- 
bors. A  group  of  about  ninety  persons  had  gathered 
about  him,  anxious  to  follow  the  leadings  of  the  Word 
of  God.  They  began  to  study  the  Holy  Book  trying  to 
accommodate  their  lives  to  its  teaching.  Soon  they  had 
organized  themselves  into  a  New  Testament  church. 
The  only  thing  that  troubled  them  was  the  question  of 
who  should  baptize  them,  as  they  had  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  only  the  baptism  of  a  believer  was  valid. 
Finally  they  heard  of  the  missionary  in  the  capital  of 
the  State.  The  Registrar  of  Deeds,  Theophilo  de 
Queiroz,  by  name,  spent  a  month  in  the  home  of  the  mis- 
sionary. Dr.  Z.  C.  Taylor,  was  instructed,  baptized,  or- 
dained, and  on  his  return  to  Conquista,  he  in  turn  bap- 
tized about  ninety  believers  and  organized  a  church — 
a  complete  Baptist  organization. 

In  1911,  I  visited  that  city,  preached  there  for  two 
weeks  and  had  over  sixty  conversions  and  baptisms. 
As  I  was  returning  to  the  capital,  more  than  fifty 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  the  aristocracy  of  the  district, 
followed  me  on  horseback  for  about  five  miles  and 
when  the  time  came  for  separation  one  of  the  most 
touching  incidents  of  my  missionary  life  happened. 
If  you  will  read  Acts  20 :  36,  37  and  38,  you  will  under- 


228  A  MISSIONARY  ADVENTURE 

stand  it  better.  We  all  knelt  by  the  roadside  and 
prayed  and  wept.  The  men  fell  on  my  neck  and  kissed 
me  and  begged  me  not  to  forget  them.  As  I  was  soon 
to  leave  for  the  homeland  they  asked  me  to  tell  the 
brotherhood  in  the  States  of  their  gratitude  for  send- 
ing them  the  good  news  of  salvation  and  to  please  not 
to  forget  them  in  their  prayers. 

In  our  prayers  before  the  Throne  of  Grace,  in  our 
love  and  sympathy,  in  our  gifts  and  sacrifices  let  us 
not  forget  Brazil  with  its  millions  of  needy,  hungry 
souls. 

As  for  myself  I  can  truthfully  repeat  the  words  of 
the  Apostle  Paul  given  to  the  elders  of  Ephesus : 
*'But  none  of  these  things  move  me, 
Neither  count  I  my  life  dear  unto  myself. 
So  that  I  might  finish  my  course  with  joy. 
And  the  ministry,  which  I  have  received  of  the 

Lord  Jesus, 
To  testify  the  gospel  of  the  grace  of  God.'' 

—Acts  20 :  24. 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 


Subject  Page 

Allen,  Rev.  J.  R 198 

Amazon  Valley,  In  the 99 

Americus  Georgia,  Y.  W.  A.  of   128 

Antonio   Silvino    122 

Assassination,  Another  Attempt  at   102 

Assassination,  Rumors  of 97 

Bagby,  Rev.  T.  C 196 

Bagby,  Rev.  W.  B 195 

Bahia 51 

Bahia  Penitentiary   152 

Baker,  Rev.  C.  A 199 

Bandit,  My  Encounter  With  a 122 

Baptism     10 

Baptist  Church  Standard  of  Morals   224 

Baptists  in  Bahia   50 

Barra  de  Itabapuana,  Gun-shooting  at 137 

Bernardo,  Rev.  Adrian  Onesimo  166 

Bible,  Public  Burning  of  the 113 

Bibles,   Selling    30 

Bible,  The  Work  of  a  Little 86 

Birth  and  Education 1 

Bratcher,  Rev.  L.  M 197 

Brazil,  What  Baptists  are  Doing  in 214 

Brazil,  The  Future  Storehouse  of  the  World 208 

Brazilian  Problems    212 

Brazilians,  Four  Traits   209 

Brazilian  Baptist  Convention   51 

Breaking  My  Neck,   Saved  from    20 

Called  to  Service  20 

Campos  Mission   72 

Cannada,  Rev.  W.  H 119 

Cantor  Christao 99 

Carroll  Memorial  Publishing  House 144 

Cerqueira,  Rev.  Tertuliano 172 

Christ,  A  Glimpse  of 5 

231 


232  ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 

Subject  Page 

Christie,  Rev.  A.  B 197 

Church,  Building  My  First 74 

Church  of  Rome,  Three  Reasons  Why  I  Left  the 154 

Clancy,  Mr.  J 10 

Colportage  Work  146 

Colporter    87 

Companiona  and  Friends  176 

Congregationalists    27 

Consecration  Service 22 

Contents ix 

Corumba,  Matto  Grosso   156 

Costa,  Senhor  Thomas  da 185 

Crossland,  Rev.  D.  F 198 

Daily  Press,  Discussions  in  the  112 

Death  of  My  Wife 67 

Debate,  A  Public 55 

Decision   7 

Deter,  Rev.  A.  B 194 

Discussions  and  Discoveries 44 

Downing,  Dr.  J.  L 203 

Dunstan,  Rev.  A.  L 194 

Dust  Bin,  Thrown  Into  a 11 

Education    1 

Edwards,  Rev.  F.  M 196 

Entzminger,  Dr.  W.  E 179 

Escape,  A  Narrow 20 

Evangelism 141 

Excommunicated  and  Cursed 12 

Falcao,  Rev.  Orlando  174 

Farewell   22 

Feast  of  Tabernacle  4 

Foreword   xi 

Fruit  After  Twenty  Years  154 

Ginsburg,  Mrs.  Emma  Morton « 219 

God 's  Word,  The  Power  of , 58 

Gospel,  Hearing  the 4 

Growth  and  Development 117 

Hamilton,  Rev.  D.  L 201 

Herculano,  A  Miracle  of  Grace 37 

Hites,  Rev.  L.  T 199 

Home,  Expelled  from  ,„,,.., 9 

Hospitality,  Brazilian  . . . . , 155 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  233 

Subject  Page 

Idols,  Catholics  Worship   206 

Ingram,  Rev.  E.  A 196 

Interior,  Evangelizing  in  the 30 

Isaiah,  Chapter  53 4 

Introduction xiii 

Jackson,  Eev.  E.  A ^ 197 

Johnson,  Rev.  L.  L !r. 201 

Jornal  Baptista   151 

Langston,  Dr.  A.  B 199 

Language,  Learning  the  23 

Lessa,  Conversion  of  Rev.  J  oachim  F 162 

Limoeiro,  Opening  of  the  Work  in 128 

London , 3 

Macache,  Persecution  in 90 

Maddox,  Rev.  O.  P 198 

Masonic   Order 65 

Matrimonial  Speculation 2 

McQure,  Mr 10 

Mein,  Rev.  John , - 201 

Mildmay  Mission  to  the  Jews 4-6 

Morgan,  Rev.  P.  A.  R 198 

Morton,  Miss  Emma  70 

Native  Ministry,  Training  of  the 118 

Nazareth  Church   102 

Near  Death 's  Door   65 

Neglected  Continent    18 

Nictheroy     69 

Nind,  Rev.  George  W 45 

One  Thousands  Souls  in  a  Tear 135 

Open- Air  Service,  First   27 

Organizing  Churches  and  Missions 156 

Ordination  Service 22 

Orthodoxy,  Jewish 2 

Paranagua,  Dr.  J.  N 189 

Parker,  Rev.  James  B 202 

Paz,  Rev.  Manuel  da   169 

Pernambuco,  Conditions  of  Work  in  1900   105 

Pernambuco,  Visiting  33 

Persecution  in  Bom  Jardin  107 

Persecutions,  New  47 

Pettigrew,  Rev.  R.  E 194 


234  ALPHABETICAL  INDEX 

Subject  Page 

Pinto,  Dr.  F.  Miranda 189 

Places,  In  Many 135 

Portugal,  Fleeing  from   25 

Preparation  for  Service 17 

Printed  Page,  Using  the 32 

Printed  Page,  The  Power  of  the 98 

Prisoners,  Work  Among 149 

Prison  for  the  First  Time 35 

Primary  Schools 220 

Profession  of  Faith 8 

Eandall,  Miss  Euth 199 

Eay,  Dr.  T.  B 192 

Eecruiting  for  the  Master 161 

Eegions  Beyond  Mission  College   16 

Eeno,  Eev.  L.  M 198 

Eevenge,  A  Missionary 's 84 

Eice,  Miss  Maggy 218 

Eio  de  Janeiro   26 

Eobinson,  Mr.  W.  W 118 

Santiago,  Eev.  Augusto  Felippe 170 

Sao  Fidelis,  Persecution  in   75 

Sermon,  A  Tract  Changed  His 158 

Shepard,  Dr.  J.  W 181 

Sherwood,  Eev.  W.  B 200 

Soren,  Eev.  T.  F 185 

Southern  Baptist  Convention   225 

Suuza,  Eev.  Manuel  Avelino  de  167 

Spiritual  Blindness,  The  Antidote  for 148 

Sprinkled,  Baptizing  Those  I  Had 48 

Stanton,  Eev.  Eufus  B 197 

Stapp,  Eev.  C.  F 200 

Statistics 216 

Steriopticon,  What  A  Slide  Did 42 

Store,  Kicked  Out  of  a 29 

Street  Preaching H 

Students,  Portuguese  University    24 

Suburbs,  Growth  in  the 120 

Suicide,  Saved  from  153 

Taylor,  Eev.  Hudson 22 

Taylor,  Dr.  J.  J 196 

Taylor,  Dr.  W.  C 202 

Taylor,  Dr.  Z.  C 176 

Teixeira,  Senhor  Theodore 52-54 

Terry,  Eev.  A.  J 203 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX  235 

Subject  Page 

Testifying    7 

Titanic,  Escaping  the 141 

Tracts 153 

Trials 47 

Victory 96 

Victoria,  First  Visit  to 56 

Victoria    Mission    198 

Watson,  Eev.  S.  L 199 

White,  Miss  Pauline 202 

White,  Eevf  M.  G 200 

White  Slavers,  Beaten  by  .... 18 

Wilkinson,  Eev.  John  6-10 

Willingham,  Dr.  E.  J 192 

W.  M.  S.  of  South  Carolina 118 

Word  of  God,  Learning  to  Eead  the 36 

Wright,  Mr.  Maxwell   30 


1    1012  01044  4745 


